Exercise during pregnancy is essential for the health of you and your baby. Exercise is beneficial throughout the term, including the second and third trimester when exercise may be difficult. However, during the second and third trimester it may be recommended that you not exercise on your back for protection against problems such as Supine Hypertensive Disorder, a condition wherein the fetus weight compresses the veins responsible for carrying blood back to the heart, resulting in possible low blood pressure and possible low blood supply to the fetus. Other activities, such as aquatic exercise, can provide the workout you need while keeping you safe.
Why Aquatic Exercise?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine website, some physicians believe that maintaining regular physical activity during pregnancy may increase risk for miscarriage, premature delivery and poor fetal growth. These physicians see aquatic exercise as a means of safe, low-intensity, non-weight-bearing exercise that can give pregnant women the exercise they need to stay fit and healthy with less risk of over-exhaustion or over-heating. In addition, the lack of bouncing, stretching or bending of joints in aquatic exercise may make it safer than other exercises. This is because hormonal changes during pregnancy cause extra joint flexibility, which increases the risk for injury. Other benefits of aquatic exercise include decreasing physical discomfort by taking weight off your legs and back, enhancing physical functioning and improving body image, according to the National Institutes of Health website.
Aquatic Exercises
If you are doing aquatic exercise on your own, you can begin with a warm-up exercise. This includes walking as quickly as possible for 15 seconds and then as slowly as possible for 15 seconds, for a total of three minutes. After warming up, grab a kick board and hold it lengthwise underneath the water while standing. Start to walk as you hold the kick board in front of you, keeping it under the water and straight. Next, continue to walk but zig-zag the kick board, states My Online Wellness website. This exercise works the upper arms, abdomen and torso. For the back, try standing with your elbows placed by your sides. Hold out your hands out to the side for resistance, with thumbs facing upward, states the site. Walk the width of the pool both forward and backward.
Expert Insight
The concerns over the impact regular physical activity has on you and your baby, such as risk of miscarriage and premature delivery, are not usually a worry for women with normal pregnancies. However, it is best to consult your physician to ensure you are not in the minority of pregnant women who are subject to these risks.
Considerations
Though in the water, you will still sweat. Thus, it is best to have a bottle of water nearby. For adequate hydration, drink water before and after your aquatic exercise, and drink a sip of water every ten minutes during the workout. In addition, be sure to wear a suit that has adequate top support for comfort. As your pregnancy continues, you may also want to wear an abdominal support. These supports help against extra movement of the breasts and belly as they grow. For optimum benefits, the website suggests 20 minutes of aquatic exercise three times a day. However, it is best to start off slowly. For a definitive exercise time table specific to you and your pregnancy, consult your physician.
Calories and Exercise during Pregnancy
If you are physically active and pregnant, it is necessary that you consume more than the approximate 3,000 calories needed to sustain adequate nutrients for you and your baby, as well as make up for the amount of calories burned during exercise. As the amount of extra calories varies between women, it is necessary that you discuss your exercise and diet regimen with your physician to determine the proper amount of calories to consume during your pregnancy.
References
- Be Fit Mom: Supine Hypotensive Disorder
- American College of Sports Medicine: Exercise During Pregnancy
- Endless Pools: Aquatic Exercise During Pregnancy with Endless Pools
- My Online Wellness: Swimming During Pregnancy
- National Institutes of Health: Pub Med: A Pilot Study on the Effects of aquatic Exercises on Discomforts of Pregnancy
- Women Fitness: Water Aerobics During Pregnancy
