We’ve talked about pregnancy exercise both here and in the Fitnessblog previously. At the time that I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I was just starting a new fitness regimen. My doctor said it was all right to continue with the exercise as long as it was low impact (low weight, high number of reps) and since I rode regularly, I could continue to ride for the first trimester and even some during the second trimester.
There were two tricks to maintaining my exercise and fitness during the pregnancy: avoiding injury, but building up muscle strength and keeping the oxygen flow to my muscles. I have mentioned before the problems associated with my pregnancy, however the first three months I rode almost daily – I just didn’t let the horse go above a trot and I avoided jumping. As my pregnancy progressed, other issues would intercede to prevent my exercising, but knowing what I know now – I’m preparing for any future pregnancy by getting my exercise routine set now.
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time, doctors recommended that pregnant women take it easy and keep their feet up as much as possible. You can still take it easy and you should still put your feet up, but you shouldn’t avoid exercise altogether unless your physician has recommended that. So whether you were exercising before you got pregnant or not, you can still begin an exercise program, just be sure to check with your physician in order to receive medical clearance.
There are a growing number of prenatal fitness classes that you can take. You can walk, swim, ride a bike or do yoga. The idea is to exercise and achieve good cardio and muscle fitness without working to fatigue and exhaustion. My doctor recommended not exceeding 70% of the maximum heart range. In fact, it was better to target about 60% of that heart rate. To find this out, calculate 220 minus your age and multiply it by 70% for that heart rate range and 60% for that.
In my case that would be: 220-34 = 186. 186 x 60% = 111.6.
So 111.6 as a heart rate is really a low impact cardio workout that doesn’t require a lot of sweating and wheezing. So you should remember that oxygen intake is very important for your pregnancy and your exercise. So if you start having trouble breathing, it’s important to stop exercising and breathe deeply to catch your breath – and then report it to your physician.
After the 12th Week of Pregnancy
After the 12th of pregnancy, you should avoid doing exercises that have you flat on your back. When you exercise while lying on your back, you may decrease the amount of oxygen rich blood going to your baby. You should employ a good stretching program with your exercise because it can help strength your back and joints, which can be stressed by the excess weight of pregnancy.
What kind of exercise did you do while pregnant?
Related Article:
Safe Exercise Plan for Pregnancy