If you are healthy and your pregnancy is progressing normally, you can continue or start most types of exercise with only a few small changes. Physical activity does not increase the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight or preterm birth. The important thing is that you should discuss with your doctor during early pregnancy if there are any obstacles to the type of exercise you are going to do. If your doctor gives you the go-ahead and says that there are no impediments to exercise, together you can create an exercise routine that meets your needs.
Situations in which exercise during pregnancy is unsafe and may be harmful:
1) Some heart and lung diseases
2) Cervical (cervix uteri) insufficiency or cerclage oepration (stitching of the cervix)
3) Multiple pregnancies of twins or more with a risk of preterm birth
4) Placenta previa
5) Premature birth or early water breaking
6) Severe anemia
7) Preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension
Benefits of exercise during pregnancy,
1) Reduces lower back and back pain
2) Relieves constipation (constipation).
3) It can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and caesarean section.
4) It ensures healthy weight gain throughout pregnancy.
5) It improves your general fitness and strengthens your heart and blood vessels.
6) It helps to lose weight after the birth of the baby.
How much exercise can you do during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, you can do moderate-intensity exercise types for no more than 150 minutes a week. Examples of moderate-intensity exercise include fast walking and aerobics. Moderate-intensity exercise is exercise that makes your heart beat faster and makes you sweat. These are exercises of such intensity that you can speak comfortably but cannot sing.
Those who did not exercise before pregnancy can start with 5 minutes a day and increase daily up to a maximum of 30 minutes.
For those who exercised very intensively before pregnancy, the same exercises can be done if the doctor permits, but if weight loss begins, the number of calories in the diet can be increased.
What are the changes in pregnancy that affect the exercise routine?
– Because of hormones, joints can be very flexible, which can lead to an increase in strains and sprains during exercise. For this reason, you should avoid movements that are too jarring, too jumpy and too advanced.
– As the center of gravity shifts forward during pregnancy, balance may be impaired, which may increase the risk of falls.
– Because breathing may become difficult due to the pressure of the uterus on the diaphragm, it may be difficult to continue exercising due to the increased oxygen demand during exercise.
What precautions can be taken when exercising?
– Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise. Changes seen in a dehydrated body include dizziness, weakness, increased heart rate, less and darker urine.
– A sports bra should be worn to support the breasts during exercise; later in pregnancy, a pregnancy belt can reduce discomfort when walking or running.
– Staying in high temperatures should be avoided, especially in the first trimester. Drink plenty of water, do not wear tight clothes and exercise in a temperature regulated environment. Do not exercise outdoors in very hot and humid weather.
– Avoid standing still for long periods of time and lying on your back on the floor for long periods of time. Lying on your back for long periods of time increases the pressure of the uterus on the large blood vessels that return blood to the heart. Standing for a long time causes blood to pool in the feet and legs. Both of these positions prevent the return of blood to the heart and cause a drop in blood pressure for a short period of time.
Sample exercises that can be done during pregnancy
Examples of safe exercises that can be done during pregnancy
– Brisk walking: Exercises the whole body and does not put pressure on muscles and joints
– Swimming and aquatic movements: Swimming and aquatic exercises work many muscle groups. Since swimming supports weight, muscle and joint injuries can be avoided. It is the right choice for pregnant women who cannot walk due to low back pain.
– Stationary bike: Riding a regular bicycle outdoors can be risky in terms of falls, so an exercise bike can be a good choice.
– Modified yoga and pilates: Yoga reduces stress, increases flexibility, stretches and concentrates on breathing. There are special yoga and pilates groups and classes for pregnant women. In this type of exercise, you should avoid lying on your back and standing for long periods of time.
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Which exercises should be avoided during pregnancy?
– Sports with the possibility of getting hit in the abdomen (such as boxing, basketball…)
– Sports with the possibility of falling (skiing, mountain biking, gymnastics and horseback riding)
– “Hot yoga” or “hot pilates” (pilates and yoga in a very hot environment) can cause overheating.
– Diving
When is it okay to continue exercising?
If any of the following occur, you should stop exercising and contact your doctor:
– Vaginal bleeding
– Feeling dizzy and faint
– Shortness of breath before you even start exercising
– Chest pain
– Headache
– Muscle weaknesses
– Pain and swelling in the calves
– Regular painful contractions in the uterus
– Fluid coming from the vagina
The importance of continuing exercise after childbirth
Continuing exercise after the birth of the baby improves mood and reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis (clots in the veins of the leg veins), which increases after birth. It also helps to lose the weight gained during pregnancy.