Fitness is a vital aspect of pregnancy, as exercise prepares your our body for the intensity of labour, helps you to cope with the physically demanding challenges of motherhood, and aids you in your attempt to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. However, before you get going on your pregnancy fitness programme, there are safety measures to consider for the sake of your wellness, as well as the wellbeing of your baby. You should always speak to your doctor before starting any exercise routine, but this becomes even more important when you’re exercising for two! Once you’ve done this, make sure you observe the following safety rules:
1. Don’t overheat: Your baby’s body isn’t as well equipped as yours to dissipate heat, so avoid prolonged exercise and ensure that you drink plenty of water. On hot, humid days, use fans or avoid working out altogether. Remember to wear light, loose, cotton clothing when exercising and skip the post-workout sauna or steam bath.
2. Don’t overdo it: High-intensity exercise can cause problems for your baby, so you need to keep your heart rate stays in a range of approximately 140bpm. This may mean you need to change to a lighter pace in your programme, and manage your expectations of how much you can do. It’s a good idea to regularly measure your heart rate and lengthen your cool-down period after aerobic workouts.
3. Know your timings: After 28 weeks of your pregnancy, you should avoid frequent and prolonged exercise.
4. Keep upright: Doing exercise while lying on your back is a no-no from the beginning of your second trimester.
5. Avoid muscle overload: You shouldn’t use hand weights over 0.5kg, especially during an aerobic workout.
6. Prepare (down there): You can keep those birthing muscles strong and ready for action by performing exercises to enhance your pelvic floor. These are known as kegel exercises and, as an added bonus, are also beneficial to your sex life as they enhance your orgasm intensity. First, locate the pubococcygeus (PC) muscle by trying to start and stop the flow of your urine next time you’re on the loo. Locate the muscle that stops the flow, and then, try to tighten and hold this muscle for a slow count of three. You can also try quick kegels by tightening and relaxing the muscle as rapidly as you can.
7. Give yourself plenty of support: A decent bra can be expensive, especially sports one, but a good, supportive bra is essential when you’re pregnant, as your breasts are going through big changes, and will need more support as they grow.
8. Take it slow: Rapid changes in direction aren’t a good idea when you’re pregnant, so you should exercise extreme caution when you are doing Step exercise classes.
9. Stretch safely: Stretching is very important before and after you exercise, as you could otherwise really injure yourself. However, there’s a new little person growing inside of you, so you need to stretch gently to avoid doing any damage.
10. Eat right: Proper nutrition is important when you’re pregnant in any case, but it becomes absolutely vital with regard to exercise. About two hours before your workout, have a light snack. You should also have a small carton of fruit juice with you when you’re exercising.
11. Know when to quit: You should stop immediately if at any time during your exercise session you feel very hot, faint, dizzy or short of breath, or if you experience vaginal bleeding, palpitations, blurred vision, or severe or continuous headaches. If exercising brings on lower abdominal pain, tightness or cramping, back pain or pubic pain, you should consult your obstetrician as soon as possible.
