ARE YOU PREGNANT & DOUBT EXERCISING? THEN, THIS POST IS FOR YOU!

"Exercise can complicate your uncomplicated pregnancy...", REALLY??! If you are getting similar advices, step into the 21st century, embrace and understand the science behind exercising during & post pregnancy.

YOU CHOOSE, WHAT YOU & YOUR BABY DESERVES, DON'T LET THE MYTHS AND OLD TALES DEFINE YOUR BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY OF MOTHERHOOD.

NO more FAKE and HYPED knowledge. We bring you the most authentic researches from across the globe.

This is what the ACOG says on exercising during pregnancy;

       The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommendation (ACOG) is aerobic exercise for 35 to  90 minutes three to four times each week during pregnancy for normal-weight women with uncomplicated, single pregnancies. Women pregnant with twins and those with either health issues or complications should discuss the type and extent of exercise with their Physician & Physical therapist since special circumstances may require special care.

Palmer TM, et al. Genetic evidence for causal relationships between

maternal obesity-related traits and birth weight. JAMA. 2016;315(11):1129-1140.

In times gone by, pregnant women were advised to refrain from exercise because of concerns about

fetal risk. Simultaneously, they were advised to increase their caloric intake during pregnancy.

However (in part because of these misguided recommendations), some of the weight gained

during pregnancy was usually retained. Elevated maternal weight is associated with a higher birth

weight of offspring and contributes to the intergenerational transmission of obesity.

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Consequently,pregnancy has evolved as a major contributor to the worldwide obesity epidemic and multiple related maternal and fetal comorbidities, some of which have potential lifelong consequences.

Most normal gestational weight gain occurs after 20 weeks of gestation and the definition of “normal” is subject to regional variations, but should take into consideration pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI).

According to the Institute of Medicine classification ,

•women who are underweight at the start of pregnancy (i.e. BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) should aim to gain 12.5–18 kg,

•women who are normal weight at the start of pregnancy (i.e. BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2 ) should aim to gain 11.5–16 kg,

•overweight women (i.e. BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2) should aim to gain 7–11.5 kg, and obese women(i.e. BMI > 30 kg/m2) should aim to gain 5–9 kg.

Saccone G, et al. Exercise during pregnancy in normal weight women and risk of preterm birth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016;215(5):561-571.

A recent meta-analysis that included 2059 women showed that among normal-weight women with singleton uncomplicated pregnancies, aerobic (stationary cycling, water aerobics, aerobic dance) and strength or toning exercise of moderate intensity (60%-80% of maximum age-predicted heart rate [HRmax, 220 minus age in years]) performed to 4 days per week (35-90 min/session; mean, ≈ 60 min) starting late in the first trimester (weeks 8-13 in 5 of 9 randomized clinical trials [RCTs]) or during the second trimester (weeks 16-22 in 4 of 9 RCTs) and lasting until the end of pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk for preterm birth (ie, <37 weeks) or low birth weight.

Muktabhant B, Lawrie TA, Lumbiganon P, Laopaiboon M. Diet or exercise, or both, for preventing excessive weight gain in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015

                               

Exercise during pregnancy has been strongly linked to decreased risk of the following: macrosomia in newborns, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, low back pain, pelvic girdle pain (ie, pain between the posterior iliac crest and the gluteal fold, sometimes also in the pubic symphysis), and urinary incontinence.

ACOG committee opinion no. 650: physical activity and exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. ObstetGynecol. 2015;126(6):e135-e142.

                                                      

The intensity of each exercise session should be individualized and can be monitored by using the

Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale . According to ACOG guidelines, pregnant women should exercise at a moderate intensity (RPE score, 13-14 [somewhat hard]). A more practical method also recommended by ACOG to monitor exercise intensity is the talk test—as long as an individual can carry on a conversation while exercising, she usually will not be overexerting.

PREGNANT ATHLETE = WONDER WOMEN!?

Yes, it's TRUE!

It now appears that women’s bodies are not only capable of handling endurance events, BUT, estrogen, body fat — and now, pregnancy, may be a physical advantage. Researches show estrogen may be a key to female ultra-endurance success. Estrogen may increase water retention (slowing dehydration), may minimize skeletal muscle damage and soreness - and even delay onset of fatigue by spurring serotonin production (increasing energy and elevating mood).

DON'T BELIEVE?!..CHECK BELOW

...and they are NOT the only ones, the list is big.

THE SPORTS SCIENCE EXPLAINS IT ALL!

Blood volume rises about 60 percent during pregnancy, mimicking the effects of blood doping in which greater blood volume allows more oxygen to be carried to the muscles. Muscles use oxygen to produce ATP or adenosine triphosphate, which fuels muscle contractions. (The volume and speed of this process is aerobic power or VO2max). Male athletes are touted as physiologically advantaged because, on average, a male’s VO2max is 30-40  percent greater than a female’s. But how does a pregnant athlete’s VO2max stack up? While blood volume returns to normal within four to eight weeks after giving birth, though it’s a little  unclear right now as to exactly how training through pregnancy and birth is enhancing an athlete’s post-partum performance, but, the RESULTS WE ARE GETTING CANNOT BE IGNORED!

So, if they can compete on international platforms being athletes, why can't a normal female take up simple exercise protocol while pregnant?. We hope this article will help you decide which side you want to be on :-)

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Happy Health!

YUVAAN