Thursday 29 September 2011

Let's Get Physical - Exercise in Pregnancy

Pregnant
Image: Flickr/Frank De Kleine Coloring (Creative Commons)



 

I wanted to a post on this, because I have found with my friends there is a lot of confusion about whether exercise is ok in pregnancy, and whether you should do any at all. I thought it would be helpful to talk about this as it's one of the key points in Tommy's 5 point pregnancy plan, in conjunction with Bounty.

In pregnancy, as in every day life, the Royal College of Obsetricians and Gynaecologist recommend 30 minutes each day. What I really love about the Tommy's advice is that they know that for many women, this is a big ask, if you have other children, a job, and generally feel a bit rubbish and that the sofa to the kitchen is a bit of a mission, doing 30 minutes sounds tough. So they have put together a really fantastic little guidebook to fitting exercise into your day in manageable chunks.

Exercise not only helps you manage your calorie balance, it helps to strengthen and prime your muscles and  get you ready for labour and looking after your little bundle/s. The other really important thing about exercise, is its good for your mental well being and managing stress. I found at work, it was brilliant to get out in my breaks and lunch time for a walk. I worked an eight hour day, and did 10 minutes walk before I started, and a further 3 10 minute walks during the day. There was a group of us that walked together, so as well as exercise we got a good gossip in as well!

In pregnancy there's a hormone called relaxin which is released and makes your ligaments and muscles more stretchy and less stable than usual, so its recommended that by the second trimester you are careful with high impact activities and switch to more moderate ones, brisk walking instead of running etc, and check whether any class you go to is suitable in pregnancy.

In many areas there are specific exercise classes available such as pregnancy yoga, pilates and aqua fitness, some are free, some are offered privately, your midwife should have information about these. There is a lot you can do at home as the guidebook I linked to shows.

In pregnancy I walked at least 45 minutes a day. I used to do it in 15 minute chunks mostly, as I was completely knackered all the time. I also did fit ball exercises. I love fit balls. You can buy them cheaply (I got mine at TKMaxx), and they are comfortable to sit on and really work your abdominal muscles (yes you have abs, even if they are covered with lots of fluff like mine are)

I did some swimming, and was planning to do more as my pregnancy continued. I loved the feeling of swimming when pregnant, and could feel Joseph doing what I used to call "the flippy turny thing" when I swum.

I am aware that this blog is often read by second time around premmie mums, and in respect to swimming, if you have had an unexplained early birth, you should speak to your consultant team managing your pregnancy, as swimming is not always recommended.

Exercise is an important part of managing your weight in pregnancy, and I do put exercise and sensible eating down to my success in managing my weight whilst pregnant.



7 comments:

  1. Hey. I noticed your website title, "Blogger: Not Even a Bag of Sugar" doesn't really reflect the content of your website. When composing your site title, do you believe it's most beneficial
    to write it for Website positioning or for your readers?
    This is something I've been battling with simply because I want good search rankings but at the same time I want the best quality for my visitors.

    my web page - waterproof duffel bags uk

    ReplyDelete
  2. The decor on the inside of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful.
    Local country clubs are offering trivia fun for as little as forty dollars per couple.
    8.

    my web-site ... pub quiz aberdeen
    My site - pub Quiz archives

    ReplyDelete
  3. For those who have troubles swallowing due to the texture, tablets are available
    to make consumption easier. Implementing these changes in your life, will
    be effective remedies against recurrent yeast infections, when undertaken with a holistic yeast infection treatment program that will kill the yeast
    infection from the inside out. ** Burning Sensation While Urination.



    Also visit my web blog ... yeast infection and bleeding in pregnancy
    My web page > yeast infection and diabetes

    ReplyDelete
  4. The oil of oregano, an effective herb is also a natural cure, with a high content of carvacol in it being
    very effective if taken internally every day. The most common feature of yeast infection are-.
    Although the treatment has been successful for many people with Candida, be warned that some of the side effects may include
    excessive vaginal discharge, discomfort and burning in the vaginal area.


    Here is my site :: yeast infection and pregnancy risk

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am curious to find out what blog platform you're using? I'm
    experiencing some minor security issues with my latest site and I would like to find something more risk-free.
    Do you have any recommendations?

    Look into my site http://beta.truck.net/blogs/117643/43163/mck2812-high-voltage-optoisolato

    ReplyDelete
  6. Iím not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your
    sites really nice, keep it up! I'll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back down the road. Many thanks

    Also visit my blog post: http://www.theieee.gr/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Article contains so many fruitful information which will be liked by the readers as in my opinion
    this is the best article in this category.
    Obgyn mountain view, ca

    ReplyDelete