A Few Tips

1.  Avoid exercising in the supine (laying on your back) position after the first trimester.  The enlarged uterus can apply presure to the surrounding blood vessels and limit venous return.

2.  Take precautions to avoid heat injury.  Avoid exercising in extreme heat and make sure to be adequately hydrated.

3.  Limit exposure to falling and impact injury.  Participation in contact sports should be avoided.

4.  Be aware that joint laxity is increased during pregnancy through the release of relaxin.  Take precautions to safeguard against injury due to all joints being more lax.

5.  Resistance training can be used during pregnancy with the following precautions: avoid the Valsalva maneuver during lifting, keep the program to low or moderate intensity (12-15 reps can be complete without fatigue), and use slow and steady instead of ballistic movements.

6.  Avoid exercise where extremes in air pressure occur (scuba diving or at altitude if not acclimatized).

7.  Be aware of the body's warning signs such as: vaginal bleeding, membrane rupture, chronic fatigue, pain, regular contractions 30 min after exercise ends, unexplained increase in HR or BP, and lack of fetal movement.

Howley, E. & Franks, B. (2003). Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook (4th ed.). Champaign, IL:
     Human Kinetics

So from here you can see that there are a lot of options.  So I encourage everyone who is pregnant or thinking about it to get out there and exercise!

Doctor Appointment

Today I was totally discouraged as I sat in the waiting room for my doctors appointment.  I looked and saw 10 pregnant women.  Of the 10 there were 5 that were clearly overweight, maybe even obese.  I can't know if they were overweight before pregnancy or if they have over indulged during pregnancy but it made me very sad.  How did Americans get so unhealthy?  Then two of the other ladies sitting next to me were going on and on about how they got pregnant right after getting out of drug rehab.  What kind of situations are these children being born into?  I'm thankful that they are having the baby after rehab and I hope they stay clean.  I'm not there to judge what things people have been through.  Unfortunately after being a teacher it's hard not to look at their future children and see them sitting in your classroom 5 or 10 years from now. 

Sunshine and Warm Weather

Today in Tennessee the sun was shining and the air was warm.  I decided to take advantage of the great weather and go for a walk outside.  It was a great change to my routine of walking on a treadmill.  My son and I played at the park for at least an hour after the walk.  Then he took an extra long nap!!  Exercise is good for everyone!

I decided to pull out a textbook and look up some information about exercise and pregnancy to share.  A previous comment had questioned blood flow and oxygen to the baby during exercise (specially running a marathon).  Here is what this source had to say, "An increase in the woman's blood volume provides adequate blood for heat dissipation, exercise, and nourishment of the fetus.  Increases in ventilation and skin blood flow also help protect against excessive changes in body temperature. The increase in maternal blood volume coupled with a decrease in systemic vascular resistance results in an increase in cardiac output and provides adequate blood flow, and therefore oxygen, to the fetus.  The fact that fetal HR is only modestly, if at all, affected by exercise provides evidence that this type of physical activity does not produce significant fetal distress. " (Howley & Franks, 2003)

Howley, E. & Franks, B. (2003). Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook (4th ed.). Champaign, IL:
     Human Kinetics

So from this research go ahead and run your marathon!  I still wonder about the stress on the joints and specifically during the 3rd trimester when the body is secreting the hormone relaxin to make the joints more flexible in preparation for the baby moving through the birth canal.  What do you guys think?

Extreme Exercise

I have a good friend that is pregnant and lives in California.  She sent me this link to a segment about moms-to-be doing extreme exercise.

Moms-to-be doing extreme exercise

This segment was shown on ABC's show Good Morning America.  It's about 5 minutes but definitely very interesting.  I don't think that I would still be rock climbing at 8 months!  I agree that staying active is healthy for the mom and baby but I personally draw a line on what I think is appropriate.  At one point the mom was bouldering over rocks with no ropes or support and the risk of falling and something happening to the baby seems high.  Also the pressure of the harness seems like it could be uncomfortable, but I'm not a rock climber to begin with so I don't fully understand.  All in all I think it is healthier for the baby when the mom is active rather than to be inactive and end up developing gestational diabetes!

Rainy Day

Today it is rainy and my son is sick.  This eliminates going to the gym (he can't go to the Kids Kare sick) and walking outside.  My husband doesn't get home until 7 and the chances of my motivation still being there to go to the gym are slim.  I think many pregnant moms face this on a regular basis. How do you still get in your exercise on a day like today.  So here was my solution for today: housework, 20 minutes of my yoga video, and walking up and down my stairs.  Its not much, but it sure beats sitting around!  My advice to pregnant women is just not to sit around indulging in all the cravings.  I was actually really surprised because I started to sweat mopping my kitchen floor!  I guess that's a sign it really needed to be done.  Yoga is getting difficult as my tummy gets bigger and in the way, but I do what I can and enjoy getting in a good stretch.  Now that I have hit the 3rd trimester the simple things in life are harder, such as walking up and down stairs.  I did 5 reps and my heart rate was up and my breathing was heavy.  So for all the pregnant women just remember that something is always better than nothing!

So in reponse to Heather's comment about her roommate on the last post I decided to include some helpful post-baby information.  When my son was first born I started going to a fitness class called Stroller Strides.  It is an awesome program and I would recommend it to anyone from first time exercisers to experienced exercisers.  The idea is that mom and baby exercise together (baby in a stroller) usually outside at a park or community center.  Along the way the moms carry weights, resistance bands, and whatever else under the stroller so that periodically the moms stop to do resitance exercises.  Between stops the moms are suppose to walk, run, lunges, or whatever else the instructor thinks up.  The free flowing atmosphere allows for all fitness levels to participate successfully.  It also allows moms to not have to pay for babysitting while they work out.  I loved the comraderie of the other moms and that if you needed to stop to get a snack out for your little one, it was ok.  If they were whinning, it was ok because the other moms understood.  The only downside is that it can be expensive depending on your financial situation.  The first class is always free so you could go and learn the routine and then do it on your own or with a friend. 

33 Weeks and READY for the end....

This is my first time ever creating a blog.  I read a few blogs of friends, but it is a little intimidating to me to post something for the public to read.  I will try to figure out how to add pictures and maybe make my page a little more interesting in the next two weeks.

Unfortunately for everyone else my life is pregnancy and therefore that is my subject to blog about.  I'm reaching the end of this pregnancy and therefore everything is getting harder.  I can tie my shoes, but not by bending over, only by crossing my leg across my lap.  For someone who has been active their whole life....it feels a little depressing.  Don't get me wrong I am excited for this baby to come and everything that pregnancy means, but I don't enjoy the disruption to my normal exercise routine.  So through this blog I plan on tracking my own exercise and provide tips for those in a similar situation.

I am a member of a Fitness Center which has been key to keeping up an exercise routine through this pregnancy.  When it comes down to it, I like to run.  That is always my preferred method of exercise.  Unfortunately due to low back pain, running is difficult to accomplish during pregnancy.  This pregnancy I ran into my 6th month.  Although by the end it was a mere mile.  So I supplemented with group exercise at the gym.  It was really good.  I started to enjoy Step and Kickboxing.  My favorite class was Group Power.  That is something you should check out if your gym offers it.  Recently the classes have been hard to attend (and I can't lay on my back for abs at the end) so I've been sticking to 45 minutes on the elliptical or the treadmill.  Today I proudly say that I actually ran 5 minutes!  I got antsy and couldn't just keeping walking so I crept up the speed and actually ran.  It was pain free and I had a sense of accomplishment when I finished.  Life is good and I'm feeling a little more like I might survive this pregnancy!

So my exercise tips for this post include don't stop!!  Just because you are pregnant it does not mean that you can't exercise.  It is good for you and the baby.  I think people are more accepting in this day for pregnant women to exercise but I still get a few bad looks and comments.  If you are concerned then talk to your doctor and pain is not a good sign, but otherwise keeping exercising!!!  My second tip, which is my own saving grace, is stretching.  My lower back is out of alignment due to my legs not being the same length and some other complications.  Pregnancy puts a lot of pressure on my back and causes a lot of pain, so stretching is what keeps me being able to move.  Stretching my hamstrings relieves a lot of the pain in my lower back!