Benefits of Doing Physical Exercise during Pregnancy

When it comes to doing exercise during pregnancy: “I am pregnant, not sick” is probably what we will hear many women who are passionate about sport say when they become pregnant. That is absolutely right. If you are pregnant, you do not have to stop doing exercise. That is, as long as you are not experiencing a risky pregnancy and you have the permission of a physician.

If your pregnancy is normal and there is no risk, then go ahead!

Is it good to do Exercise during Pregnancy?

Doing physical exercise improves the cardiovascular system and the muscles. Therefore, it improves the posture and avoids an excessive weight gain. All this will improve the physical condition of the woman in order to face a pregnancy and labor with less risks. Moreover, it also improves the psychological well-being, reducing the anxiety, increasing the self-esteem, dealing with insomnia, improving the blood pressure and preventing gestational diabetes.

There are two important diseases that can be dealt with thanks to physical exercise during pregnancy: Pre-eclampsia (hypertension caused by the pregnancy) and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Why do Exercise during Pregnancy?

The main reason why women should keep on doing exercise during pregnancy is to improve their health. For instance, they will be able to lower the risk of suffering diseases related to the pregnancy. Thus, they will be able to avoid pre-eclampsia thanks to the physiological and psychological benefits of going physical exercise regularly. Moreover, it can also improve the insulin release and sensitivity as well as the metabolism of glucose. Consequently, this will help to lower the chances of suffering gestational diabetes mellitus.

In addition, doing exercise can prevent or treat other disorders like lumbago, urinary incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction and/or muscle-skeletal diseases

Can you do any Exercise while being Pregnant?

You need to be careful with some exercises, since the center of gravity changes and it also has to lift more weight. That is why it is advisable to avoid balance exercise or static positions for long periods of time. Moreover, avoid sudden position changes and contact sports too. All of this will help you avoid falling and injuring yourself (specially when the pregnancy is in an advanced stage).

Do not forget to always stay hydrated and avoid doing exercise when it is really hot.

How does Exercise affect the Fetus?

According to some studies, the babies of women who do high intensity exercise weigh around 300-350g less. The main reason could be the lower amount of sub-dermal fat of newborns. That is why it would probably be better to do a more moderate type of exercise. Intense physical exercise increases the fetal heart rate in 5-15 heartbeats/minute, without negative effects.

Premature labor: exercise does not increase the activity of the uterus nor the contractions or premature labor in healthy pregnant women without risk factors.

Physiological changes during Pregnancy

Due to the series of changes that take place in the body of a pregnant woman, we have to follow some advice:

Cardiovascular Response

The pregnancy alters the relation between the heart rate and the consumption of oxygen. Therefore, we will need to take this into account when it comes to doing exercise. Women of 20-29 years of age should have a heart rate of 135-150 heartbeats/minute, while those who are 30-39 should be 130-145. Another way could be using the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) in order to determine the intensity. In general, it should be between 12-14, which would equal having a conversation during the workout.

Respiratory Response

The ventilation can increase up to a 50%, so that we will use between a 10-20% more oxygen while resting. Therefore, there will be less oxygen for the physical activity. As time goes by, the uterus will grow, interfering with the movement of the diaphragm. In turn, it is harder to breathe which will hinder the performance during the workout. At this point, it is important to adjust the routine in order to avoid fatigue or physical exhaustion.

Mechanical Response

The mass center of a woman changes as she gains weight, as well as the size of her breasts and uterus. Consequently, this can negatively alter the balance, posture control and movement mechanics in some exercises. Therefore, we need to be very careful when it comes to choosing the exercises that involve this variable. In addition, the joints become stiff during the pregnancy. That is why you should do the movements slowly in order to avoid damaging the joints.

Metabolic Response

The need for more oxygen is due to the higher energy requirements. In general, pregnant women tend to need around 300 extra kcals in order to meet their metabolic needs. During the workout, pregnant women use more carbohydrates.

Thermoregulatory Response

The pregnancy increases the metabolic basal temperature and produces heat, which increases even more during the workout. This effect is stronger during the first trimester. Therefore, it is extremely important to stay hydrated and to do exercise with proper clothing and an optimal environment.

After the First Trimester

Avoid lying upside down since it hinders the blood flow to the heart due to the growing size of the uterus. Moreover, this position reduces the heart rate, which can trigger supine hypotension syndrome. Obviously, we would need to eliminate any exercise that relies on that position: abs, bench press or stretching on the ground.

Recommended Exercises

We should focus on the abdominal strength and pelvic floor. Above all, these muscles are the base of our posture and they are involved in the labor. Therefore, strengthening the transverse abdominis (deepest abdominal muscle) will help to support the vertebral column and to give birth.

Contraindications of Exercise during Pregnancy

If you suffer one of the following problems, you will not be able to do exercise at all:

But if you suffer one of the following, you will have to consult a physician who will tell you what to do:

Guidelines for Exercise during Pregnancy

CrossFit and Pregnancy

CrossFit has become quite popular nowadays. We know that it is quite demanding, so, can pregnant women keep on doing it? A few years ago, a group of future mothers who did CrossFit decided to continue doing exercise after becoming pregnant. Everything went smoothly since they always followed professional advice and did adjusted exercises. If you are interested in this story, check the following video:

Exercise during Pregnancy

It is important to make a distinction between women who already did exercise before the pregnancy and those who started after becoming pregnant. Those women who do exercise regularly should continue to do so during the pregnancy. In fact, several studies have proven how pregnant women instinctively reduce the time and intensity of the workout.

However, those who start doing exercise after becoming pregnant need medical permission to do so and it has to be of a low intensity.

Benefits of Exercise during Pregnancy

Several studies have proven how women who do exercise regularly go back to the weight, strength and flexibility that they had before faster than sedentary women. In general, a reasonable amount of exercise is good, although a lot of exercise could compromise the health of the fetus.

Doing exercise outdoors during the pregnancy

Exercise Tips during Pregnancy

Why is it advisable?
All healthy pregnant women should do physical exercise due to its positive effects on the cardiovascular, metabolic and biomechanical system.

How much exercise?
It is better to do exercise regularly rather than occasionally. In fact, it is advisable to do 3 to 5 workout sessions per week. Previously trained women can do more intense exercises than a beginner.

Every physical exercise program needs to be safe and pleasant.

How much intensity?

How should each workout be?

It should be made up of a warm up and stretching period, followed by a cool down and relaxation period. The exercises that you choose need to be safe in order to lower the risk of injury.

You can do strength exercises in order to tone up the muscles. However, do not do this more than twice per week and the dumbbells should not weigh more than three kilos.

Bear in mind

Bibliography

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:  Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period (Technical Bulletin # 189). Washington. DC. ACOG, 1994.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12053898
• Cowlin, A.F. 2002. Women’s Fitness Program Development. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics
• Jared W. Coburn, Moh H. Malek. Manual NSCA. Fundamentos del Entrenamiento Personal

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• Nutrition and Supplementation before, during and after Pregnancy