Getting pregnant used to mean that an athlete's competitive career was at an end or at least postponed for a year or more for the most competitive performers. Women are no longer sacrificing their athletic careers because they have a baby. Some are getting back to their chosen sport in as little as two months.
Overall Conditioning
An athlete who remains in training throughout her pregnancy has the best chance of returning to sports in a short period of time. Triathlete Erin Kowal Downs competed in a triathlon while she was nine weeks pregnant. She continued to work out throughout her pregnancy. She made changes in her routine, like using a stationary bike instead of a racing bike. She swam throughout her pregnancy as well. After giving birth, Downs started to work out a week after giving birth and was back in condition to resume triathlon training in six weeks.
While Downs may represent the optimum when it comes to returning to sports, Mayo Clinic advises that women who did not have a C-section, extensive vaginal repair or other complications can begin to exercise as soon as a week after giving birth with a doctor's approval. A return to sports may take four weeks or longer.
Team Sports
Professional basketball player Candace Parker is a former WNBA most valuable player and one of the most successful athletes in women's sports. After giving birth prior to the start of the 2009 season, she was able to resume her career with the Los Angeles Sparks two months later. Cooper returned to practice a week before returning to an actual game. She scored six points and played 18 minutes in her return. No American athlete in team sports returned to her sport faster than Parker.
Healthy Recovery
The Department of Health and Human Services says that a return to sports within two to eight weeks is one of the keys to a healthy recovery after pregnancy. After checking with your doctor to make sure that you are ready to return, make sure your exercise and sports programs include a warm-up and cool-down period. Begin slowly, drink plenty of liquids and wear a supportive bra. Stop participating in sports or exercise if you feel pain, notice bright red vaginal discharge that is heavier than a period or experience excessive fatigue.
Pregnancy Benefits
Although pregnancy is associated with weight gain, body changes and fatigue, pregnancy can help an athlete's performance when she does return to activity. According to James Pivarnik, a professor of kinesiology and epidemiology at Michigan State University, there is a 60 per cent increase in blood volume and that improves the body's ability to carry oxygen to the body by 30 percent. Greg Whyte, a professor of applied sport and exercise science at Liverpool John Moores University, said a surge in hormones increases overall muscle strength.
References
- Endurance Sports Florida; A Triathlete's Quick Return From Pregnancy; Pete Williams; February 2011
- "The Los Angeles Times"; Sparks Lose in Candace Parker's Return; Mark Medina; July 2009
- "The Times"; Sportswomen Benefit From Pregnancy; Peta Bee; September 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise After Pregnancy -- How To Get Started; March 2011
