Pregnancy and Exercise

Pregnancy can be an exciting yet sometimes daunting time in a woman’s life, especially for first time mothers. Perhaps you are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant) and are wondering whether or not you should be exercising during this time. Fortunately, there is a lot of research indicating that physical activity is not only safe but beneficial for expectant mothers. Exercise can help keep pregnancy weight gain in an acceptable range, prevent gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia (pregnancy induced high blood pressure). Exercise may also help reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy and labour. Most pregnant women should strive for the most part to simply maintain their general fitness.

During pregnancy, ligaments and tendons throughout the body stretch, both to accommodate the growing baby and to allow the baby an easier passage out dur- ing labour. This can lead to aches and sometimes pain, particularly in the lower abdomen, pelvis and lower back. This increased flexibility in the ligaments and ten- dons may possibly increase a woman’s risk of injury.

Pregnant women are also prone to increased dizziness. This is due to the rising level of hormones in the body that cause your blood vessels to relax and widen. This helps increase the blood flow to the baby but also results in slowing down the return of blood to the mother. This can cause the mother’s blood pressure to be lower than usual and can reduce the blood flow to your brain, causing temporary dizziness. It is therefore important to consider this when engaging in exercise.

Every woman and every pregnancy is different. Some mothers may feel quite tired or achy while others may feel quite well and energetic. Most will fall somewhere in between and the severity of pregnancy symptoms will vary depending on how far along into pregnancy a woman is. It would be advisable to seek advice from a G.P or Obstetrician if you have a history of miscarriage or any existing medical condi- tions (e.g. Diabetes) that may affect your pregnancy. For the vast majority of ex- pectant mothers, exercise has many benefits and is an excellent way to withstand the rigours of pregnancy and preparation for the demands of motherhood.

An Accredited Exercise Physiologist can assist in developing an appropriate exer- cise program to help ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy. If you or someone you know are interested in scheduling an appointment with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, please contact us at Whittlesea Physiotherapy.