Prenatal Exercise

Congratulations, you're pregnant!

Check with your GP before beginning to, or continuing with, exercise while pregnant. There are some conditions that make it inadvisable to exercise; three or more miscarriages, maternal heart disease, diabetes, hypotension, placenta previa. Your GP will give you advice on whether you should exercise or not.

8-14 weeks is the period where most miscarriages appear. It is advisable to stop exercising during this period until the pregnancy is well established.

All is going well and I want to start exercising

This is not a time to think about losing weight and becoming ultra fit. Your awareness should be on achieving a level of fitness that will benefit you and your baby. It is advisable to ask at each antenatal clinic if it is still all right to continue exercising.

General Guidelines -

• Cardiovascular exercise should be regular; 5 x 20 – 30 minutes per week, plus warm up and cool down. Blood volume rises by 40% during pregnancy and gentle exercising will help with this of circulation of blood.
• Exercise should be at 70% or less of maximum capacity.
• Your pulse rate should not exceed 150 beats/minute.
• Do not exercise in excessive heat and keep hydrated. Increase your water intake to 12 glasses a day.
• Avoid contact sports e.g. horse riding, tennis, skiing, mountain climbing. Keep blood sugar levels stable and eat high quality carbohydrates 2-3 hours before exercising. An extra 300 calories is needed daily to maintain a normal pregnancy and 500 if exercising.

When should I not exercise?

If you have any of the symptoms below, or are unsure whether to exercise or not, please consult your GP.

• Any bleeding
• Any pain in the body
• Dizziness and faintness
• Shortness of breath
• High blood pressure
• Feeling unwell or having a high temperature or fever
• Severe Headaches and swelling (always check this with a GP as could indicate pre-eclampsia)
• Incompetence cervix and pubic pain
• Very anaemic
• When you experience Braxton hicks or are in labour.

What exercise do you propose I do?

If you have exercised before your pregnancy, there is no reason why you cannot continue with your exercise programme, (as long as there are no contact sports involved.) However, some adjustments may need to be made and these should be discussed with an exercise professional that has pre and post- natal qualifications.
It is advisable to join a class that is run solely for pregnant women. Pilates and Yoga have specialised classes and these classes should be small with a relevant qualified instructor.

Pilates

• Breathing and Relaxation: The breathing techniques learnt in Pilates will prove invaluable during pregnancy and labour. Correct breathing will help to release tension in the body, leaving you feeling calm and relaxed. As the baby grows it will begin to push against your ribcage, leaving you short of breath. Pilates breathing will increase your lung capacity and help you deal with this shortness of breath.

• Ensure your body’s systems (respiratory, circulatory and lymphatic) are functioning efficiently.
• Core Muscles: Pilates focuses on deep postural muscles, especially the transverses abdominal muscle. Strengthening this muscle will support your baby and protect your spine. The exercise done, before labour, will help your abdominal muscles return to normal after the delivery.
• Pelvic Floor: Pilates also focuses on strengthening the pelvic floor. This will prove invaluable whist carrying the baby as the pelvic floor bears the weight of the uterus.
• Good Posture: Through pregnancy, the body is constantly changing and Pilates will bring you an awareness of your posture. It will help you avoid the aches and pains associated with back and joint problems and help you look great.

Visit www.bodycontrol.co.uk for a qualified instructor.


Yoga
Look for small classes taken by a Pre-natal qualified instructor. Starting yoga is no different to starting any other form of exercise - the same advice applies. If you are not used to regular exercise then you should start slowly.

Walking
This is an excellent way to keep yourself active especially if you are new to exercise.

Swimming
This is good as it's non-weight bearing and takes the weight off tired legs; but please avoid breaststroke. Look for specialised Pre-natal Aqua Aerobics classes.

Ellie Brown is a Body Control Pilates Instructor and a UK Athletics Coach.

She runs and Mother and Baby Post-natal Pilates courses and Pilates in Pregnancy Courses.

Running Mummies Post-natal fitness class for Mothers and their babies can be found in Greenwich Park every Tuesday and Thursday morning.

For more details check out www.greenwichpilates.co.uk