Is it Safe to Exercise while Pregnant?

Exercising
during pregnancy is a very contentious issue among exercise professionals and
it’s hardly surprising.

With the potential threat of litigation looming with
any piece of incorrect advice, prescribing exercise to pregnant women is one
area that some personal trainers are a little anxious to advise on.

Pregnancy
is a condition, not a disease – a view taken to an extreme by American runner
Sue Olsen. Sue did the ‘Grandma marathon’ in St Paul’s,
Minnesota
just 16 days short of the due date for her first child.

Some people think this
is madness, others are full of admiration but the run clearly demonstrates that
pregnancy does not necessarily have to stop you from participating in and
enjoying exercise.

Although
I’d fall short of advising a pregnant woman to begin training for a marathon,
the idea that all forms of exercise must stop to preserve the health of the
unborn baby is unfounded, provided a few simple guidelines are followed.

• First, the risk of Hypoxia
  (insufficient oxygen) must be avoided. Uterine blood flow is reduced by
  25% during moderate and strenuous exercise, with the degree of blood flow
  reduction being directly influenced by the intensity and duration of
  exercise. Therefore, to ensure that the foetus receives adequate
  oxygenated blood, exercise must be performed at a moderate intensity and
  duration.

• Second, there’s the
  hyperthermic risk to the unborn child. Intense exercise can raise the
  mother’s core temperature and pose potential problems to the health of the
  foetus. Studies on animals have discovered that long-term exposure to
  excessive heat can contribute to abnormal foetal development. Pregnant
  women who choose to exercise are therefore advised not to workout for long
  periods in warm conditions and also to take regular breaks.

• Third, care must be taken to
  ensure the expectant mother’s blood-sugar levels do not to drop during
  exercise. Although this scenario is unlikely if she follows a
  well-balanced diet, a lack of carbohydrate may cause some distress for the
  unborn baby. Consuming sports drinks, which contain around 10% sugar, is
  strongly advised to ensure that blood-sugar levels do not drop too low.

Finally,
any form of exercise performed lying supine (on your back) is generally not
advised, as this compromises the amount of blood flowing around the body.

The choice to exercise during pregnancy is ultimately one for the expectant
mother but the misconception that exercise is dangerous for the baby must not
be taken too seriously. The American
College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists states that pregnant women can actually derive health
benefits from performing mild to moderate exercise 3 times a week.

There
are some excellent books available, which will help to guide you through your
pregnancy and put your mind at rest about the correct types of exercise you
should be doing during the most important 9 months of your life.