The Health Supplement fitness adviser Patricia Weston outlines the best options on exercise while pregnant.
If you're pregnant you may be suffering from morning sickness, tiredness and weird cravings. The last thing you may want to do is exercise, but keeping fit during those nine months carries huge benefits before, during and after the birth.
"There's absolutely no reason why a pregnant woman shouldn't exercise and keep fit and even lift weights," according to Denise Curtis who lectures on the certification programme in pre- and post-natal exercise for fitness instructors at the National Training College in Dublin.
The benefits of exercising during pregnancy far outweigh the risks. The benefits become more apparent after the birth. "Exercise makes recovering from childbirth easier," she explains.
"Keeping fit helps reduce weight gain and speeds up recovery post pregnancy. It also helps make your breathing easier because it improves lung capacity," Curtis adds.
As long as you follow a few simple rules, exercising while pregnant should remain safe. "Keep exercise low impact and low intensity and avoid raising your arms above your head. Avoid exercises on your back after 16 weeks and treat any exercise classes you do as a beginner's class. Other than that there's nothing a pregnant woman can't do."
Case history: Valerie Kerins
Valerie was a regular exerciser before she became pregnant. She walked, taught aerobics classes and swam. When she discovered she was pregnant she didn't want to stop exercising. She asked her doctor for advice on exercising during pregnancy and he told her to continue keeping fit but recommended she wait until after 12 weeks before resuming exercise.
Valerie discovered there were few specific exercise classes in gyms for pregnant women or exercise videos available. "I'm a qualified fitness instructor so I decided to make my own exercise video when I was 29 weeks pregnant," she said.
"Once I was past the 12-week 'safe' period I swam, walked a lot more during my pregnancy than before and just performed low impact moves in aerobics. I found while I was keeping fit during my pregnancy I felt more positive and had more energy and just felt really good and I didn't feel as tired as I would if I wasn't exercising."
She reckoned she'd need stamina for the birth. "I kept up my regime to gain stamina and strength for the birth and prepare me for the hard labour ahead. I incorporated pelvic floor exercises into my regime to help with the labour by improving strength in the pelvic area and to help tighten up my pelvic muscles after the birth."
Although she kept fit Valerie admits it didn't make her labour any easier. However, she found exercising helped her after the birth because "the tiredness hits you like a ton of bricks". She was able to return to her pre-pregnancy weight very quickly with the help of exercise.
Valerie was told by her doctor to wait at least six weeks after the pregnancy before she took up exercise again. "I would strongly advise pregnant women to exercise but not to take up a high impact activity like running or tennis when they are pregnant. Listen to your body and stop if you experience any pain or discomfort."
Valerie Kerins's video Prenatal Aerobics For 2 is available from her website www.aerobicsfor2.ie
Patricia Weston recommends:
• consult your doctor before you start an exercise programme;
• keep exercise low impact and low intensity;
• avoid raising your arms above your head as this increases the intensity of the workout;
• when working with weights use light weights;
• avoid floor exercises on your back;
• avoid abdominal exercises except for pelvic floor exercises; your body releases a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy that loosens joints in preparation for delivery, so it doesn't make sense to over-exert yourself and exercise as hard as you did before you became pregnant;
• avoid exercising outdoors when it's hot as your body could over-heat;
• drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout.