Exercising when Pregnant is a commonly discussed topic with many people.
The research would suggest that if you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, or you have not been advised by your treating doctor or allied health professional, then the answer is “yes you should exercise.”
The next question, which is probably the most important question, is what sort of exercise should you do.
I like the “Keep it Simple” rule when programming mostly, so here are some very easy little hacks to use for you if you are trying to exercise and worried about what to do not not to do.
I have summarised some key points from a paper put out by the General Practice and Obstetrics Division for Australia and New Zealand. You are welcome to read the whole paper. The link is HERE
Golden Rules:
- Get an assessment with your GP, Specialist or Physiotherapist to make sure you are ok to exercise whilst pregnant. This will give you some clear and qualified advice on what to do.
- Training should be enjoyable
- Train with a friend or partner or someone to support you if you can
- There is no pressure on “what” you do, if you are doing something it is definitely better than nothing. If it concerns you, it does not feel right or you are not sure about what you are doing, just stop, do something less stressful and talk to someone qualified about why you feel that way so we can help explain and modify what you are doing.
Exercise When Pregnant little tips:
- Temperature Control – in Rockhamton or Central Queensland it is hot. Don’t let yourself get too hot. This means you are allowed to use air-conditioning if you want to!
- At some point it is likely your body will not like rapid changes of direction (usually after 10-12 week stage) so think exercise in straight lines if that is easier (Biking, jogging, walking, hiking on reasonable ground) rather than netball, touch football etc. This is not a hard rule but something to consider.
- Contact Sports – are they bad? Maybe. This is enough reason not to do them whilst pregnant.
- If you are new to exercise during pregnancy, please set reasonable goals for yourself. A goal could be to walk for 20 mins every day whilst pregnant with no relevance to distance achieved or intensity you ‘must’ be at. The act of walking is good for you and it is a low intensity exercise to commence.
- You program should involve some specific exercises for pelvic floor control and strength.
I hope these recommendations help you if you are reading this and are pregnant and are considering exercise, or wondering if you are doing the ‘right’ thing or you are questioning what you are doing at the moment!
Our team has a passion for helping Mums to be, and Mums. Miche and I as parents and small business owners know how hard it is to set time aside for yourself. But, we also know how important it is to be fit, healthy and happy to allow you to be a great parent and help you avoid the risk of injury either during pregnancy or post-partum.
If you are interested in Ante-Natal Exercise Programs, or Post-Natal Exercise Programs please contact our team at 4927 8190 or email Brittany Bailey, our marketing guru but also the champion and motivator of our Mums program on marketing@vectorhealth.com.au. We would love to hear from you and to help you.
Click here to see our Mums and Bubs Program @ VHP
“Transforming self-belief and physical capacity with unrivalled care” is what we do at Vector Health & Performance.