Pumped for Pregnancy
Filed Under Fitmom Wellness |
During my first pregnancy I was a sluggish mess, validated by all the excuses and inaccurate information I could get my hands on. When my preterm baby was born as a result of hypertension (linked to excessive weight gain—mine to the tune of 60 pounds!), I had an awakening. My baby needed me to be healthy—before and after birth.
With a background in fitness, I knew better. But like a lot of women, I chose to listen to outdated information that a pregnant woman should just put her feet up. This decision created a long list of regrets that inspired me to change my ways.
While current research speaks to the importance of exercise during pregnancy, myths and cultural and societal stigma still deter many moms from getting and staying fit—which is just as important as a healthy diet, adequate rest, and good prenatal care.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology recommend pregnant women exercise at least three times a week. Unfortunately, not all caregivers are familiar with these current guidelines, although recent government promotions are trying to change this.
Some expecting moms have the added pressure of answering to the faculty of family (with 20-year-old notions) that oversees their pregnancy. So here are some helpful Fact Versus Myth points to share with all those who question the role of exercise in your pregnancy. This will help ensure you don’t use the uninformed words of others to allow yourself to be unhealthy in your pregnancy.
Myth: If you weren’t exercising before you got pregnant, you should not start.
Fact: Current guidelines recommend that even sedentary women begin an exercise program. Supervised low-intensity strength training, yoga, and swimming are highly recommended. It makes sense. We all know exercise improves health. We all know a healthy mom is more likely to have a healthy baby.
Myth: You should not exercise in the first trimester.
Fact: While the first trimester is a vulnerable stage for miscarriage and an estimated one-third of first pregnancies end in miscarriage, there is absolutely no conclusive evidence to show that exercise increases this risk. In fact, more recent reports have shown a reduction in miscarriage in exercising women.
Myth: You should never train your abdominal muscles during pregnancy.
Fact: While certain modifications may be needed based on the possibility of a condition called diastasis recti, a strong core (including pelvic floor) can help protect women against back pain and injury, which are common during pregnancy. A strong pelvic floor helps support the weight of the baby during pregnancy and can assist the uterus in the pushing phase of labor.
Myth: You must keep your heart rate at or below 140 beats per minute.
Fact: While this was believed to be a good guideline in the past, current research reminds us that heart rate alone isn’t a measurement of exercise intensity. By measuring only BPM, an athletic woman may work far below her capabilities in pregnancy and an unfit woman could work beyond it. The talk test is another useful test. It simply asks the mom to talk without being breathless for about two minutes. While she can breathe heavily, she should not be skipping words.
Cheers,
Andrea Page
