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!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
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.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
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?
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?
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