Pregnancy
The profound, life-changing experience of becoming a parent is both rewarding and challenging. It does, however, carry certain risk factors.
Take particular care of your back during and after pregnancy – protect it from strain and possible injury.
Joints and ligaments, particularly in the back and pubic regions, relax due to increased levels of the hormone relaxin, in preparation for opening the pelvis for birth.
Before exercising, during or before pregnancy, it is advisable to eat high fibre, high carbohydrate snacks, such as an apple, dried fruit, banana or whole wheat muffin, as your metabolic functions accelerate and your energy requirements increase.
“I am pregnant – can I exercise?”
It is safe to exercise during pregnancy if you are healthy, have an uncomplicated pregnancy, exercise regularly and monitor your heart rate and body’s responses to exercise stress.
“The goals of exercise during pregnancy and the post-partum period should be to maintain the highest level of fitness consistent with maximum safety.” (American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1985)
Instructor’s credentials, for example, midwife, physiotherapist.
Instructor’s specialised training in childbirth education.
As your pregnancy advances, the uterus exerts an increased upward pressure on your diaphragm. As you near your due date you may find that you breathe less deeply, although more efficiently. You may have a tendency to hyperventilate. To avoid this, breathe more slowly and evenly.
First trimester
Your fitness is likely to decrease. Listen to your body and only do what you feel comfortable doing.
Second trimester
You may feel more energetic and can exert more effort, but continue to listen to your body.
It is important to monitor your response to your exercise programme by taking your pulse-rate before, during and after exercise. Underworking will show no benefits and overworking may harm you and your baby. The correct pace will allow you to carry on a conversation while exercising (talk test).
Talk test is exactly what it says – the ability to talk during your workout – and can help you determine how hard you are working. If you can converse comfortably during exercise you are working out at an acceptable intensity and are probably in the low-to middle-range of the Perceived Rate of ExertionScale (PRE).
Stimulating the cardiovascular system through aerobic exercise helps to maintain and improve your fitness during pregnancy.Due to the stress on the cardiovascular system, you should only exercise to your comfortable capacity.
Your safety and that of your baby are of prime importance at all times. You may begin to exercise in early pregnancy and continue for as long as you feel comfortable. You should, however, try to take part in a specialised prenatal exercise class under the guidance of a qualified prenatal exercise instructor.
Your nutritional status at the time of conception and in the crucial early weeks of pregnancy is significant for the successful outcome of the pregnancy.
Knowing when you are likely to ovulate can improve your chances of becoming pregnant. Simply enter the date of your last period and the Fertility Calculator will estimate your most fertile days. This calculator is provided for educational purposes only and assumes an average cycle of 28 days. If your average cycle differs, please contact a trusted health care professional for personalized assistance.
