Pregnancy and Fitness
Body Shape
Stretching/Flexibility
Injuries/Rehab
Sports & Activities
Strengthening and Toning
Cardiovascular
Get a personal diet plan
The pregnancy workout
I am two and a half months pregnant and am concerned about which workouts and weight training exercises (like leg kicks, crunches and lifting weights overhead) are safe. Are there any dos and don'ts for pregnant women?
The first exercise and pregnancy guidelines issued years ago tended to treat pregnancy as if it were a sickness. There were a lot of absolute 'don'ts' and many women found them very restrictive. Since that time, research on exercise and pregnancy has increased significantly and now most organisations, including the Royal College of Midwives in London, agree on the following recommendations:
Focus on how you feel during your workout. Since your heart rate is affected by so many factors during pregnancy, it's not always the best indicator of how hard you're working when exercising. Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten and try and maintain a workout level that keeps you between four and eight. You will probably find it takes a lot less to bring you up to that level than before you were pregnant but since you're exercising for two, that's to be expected. There are no specific guidelines on how long your workout should be, but it should be based on your pre-pregnancy fitness routine and your doctor's recommendations.
After the first trimester (three months) don't do any exercises that call for you to lie on your back. You don't want to compromise blood flow to the baby or run the risk of elevating your blood pressure. You'll have to forego exercises like crunches, but you can still do abdominal strengthening exercises from a standing position or with your back pressed against a wall. Just make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard.
Because you are producing more of the 'relaxin' hormone, your joints are a little bit looser than normal and pushing stretches too far can lead to injury. Never push a stretch beyond the point of mild discomfort and don't hold stretches longer than 20 seconds. Be especially careful when you stretch the muscles that surround your knees, hips, and lower back. However, you should stretch regularly to help relieve general aches and pains.
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Horoscopes| Message Boards | Quizzes | Newsletters | Join
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB
