How to exercise when pregnant

  Exercise Guidelines During Pregnancy

If you have been following a regular exercise program prior to your pregnancy, you should be able to maintain that program to some degree throughout your pregnancy. Exercise does not increase your risk for miscarriage.

* If you are just starting an exercise program as a way of improving your health during your pregnancy, you should start very slowly and be careful not to over exert yourself.
* Listen to your body. Your body will naturally give you signals that it is time to reduce the level of exercise you perform.
* Never exercise to the point of exhaustion or breathlessness. This is a sign that your baby and your body cannot get the oxygen supply it needs.
* Wear comfortable exercise footwear that gives strong ankle and arch support.
* Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of fluids during exercise.
* Avoid exercise in extremely hot weather.
* Avoid rocky terrain or unstable ground when running or cycling. Your joints are more lax in pregnancy and ankle sprains and other injuries may occur.
* Contact sports should be avoided during pregnancy.
* Weight training should emphasize improving tone, especially in the upper body and abdominal area. Avoid lifting weights above your head and using weights that strain the lower back muscles.
* During the second and third trimesters, avoid exercise that involves laying flat on your back, as this decreases blood flow to your womb.
* Include relaxation and stretching before and after your exercise program.
* Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates.

Your body is changing: Your center of gravity has shifted, you’re carrying more weight, and you tire more quickly. That’s why you should exercise with care and listen closely to your body when you exert yourself. Your body will let you know when you’re pushing it to work too hard and entering the danger zone. Here are some signs and symptoms to watch out for:

Nausea
Feeling sick after a workout means you may have built up too much lactic acid, a byproduct of muscle metabolism, in your stomach.

Call your doctor or midwife if the nausea persists after you’ve cooled down.

Dizziness
Persistent dizziness or dizziness accompanied by blurred vision and headaches or palpitations can be a symptom of severe anemia or other serious illness that could affect your pregnancy.

Call your doctor or midwife if the dizziness continues after you’ve cooled down.

Sudden change in body temperature
If your hands turn clammy or you get hot or cold flashes, your body is telling you that it’s having a hard time regulating its internal temperature, which can be harmful to the fetus. "The baby can get overheated just as you do," says Meredith Goodwin, a family physician who teaches at Brown University’s medical school. When that happens, blood flowing to the uterus will be diverted to the skin as the body tries to cool itself off, putting the baby in jeopardy.

Call your doctor or midwife if your body temperature continues to fluctuate.

About the author:

Compiled using information from the following sources:

Planning Your Pregnancy and Birth Third Ed. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Ch. 5.

American Academy of Family Physicians, http://familydoctor.org/

http://www.americanpregnancy.org

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