Exercise And Yoga During Pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy can be healthy for both mother and child. Pregnant women who are physically active have shorter labors, gain less fat, require less medical intervention during delivery, and recover more quickly than pregnant women who were sedentary, according to research by obstetrician-gynecologist James F. Clapp III of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland. His studies also suggest that offspring of exercising mothers perform significantly better on intelligence tests and are less likely to be overweight.

 

Modify Your Yoga Routine

But it’s critical to individualize any yoga program for pregnancy to take into account each woman’s fitness level as well as the specific conditions of her pregnancy. In general, athletic women who have been exercising regularly can continue in most sports, with some commonsense cautions—such as avoiding high-risk activities that could result in falls and/or abdominal blows (such as downhill skiing and karate, for example) or pressure changes (scuba diving, mountain climbing).

Sedentary women who want to become active when pregnant are advised to stick with mild to moderate activities such as walking, swimming, and aerobics classes designed for pregnant women.

In addition, certain medical or obstetric conditions (including incompetent cervix or persistent second or third-trimester bleeding) can make exercise inadvisable. So it’s important that you discuss your exercise plans with your doctor.

Don’t Overdo It

Virtually every bodily system changes during pregnancy and these changes can affect your ability to exercise.

  • Hormonal changes affect respiration, circulation, digestion, and even the musculoskeletal system.
  • The heart adapts to its new demands by increasing cardiac output, blood volume, and resting heart rate, which makes the conventional concept of exercising at a “target heart rate” unreliable during pregnancy.
  • Ligaments become lax, which helps the pelvis widen for delivery, but also makes a pregnant woman’s joints unstable and increases her risk for injury.

Pay Attention To Your Body

Since ashtanga yoga involves intense stretching, pay special attention to these physical changes to avoid overstretching. As your center of gravity shifts, you may want to use a wall or chair to help you balance in some standing postures. Also, avoid lying on your back after the fourth month of pregnancy, since the enlarged uterus may decrease the flow of blood returning from the lower half of the body as it presses on a major vein.

A qualified yoga teacher can help you modify poses to accommodate your pregnancy. (For example, you may want to do child’s pose with thighs spread apart to make room for your expanding belly.) Or you might consider switching to a yoga class designed for pregnant women.

The Three Don’ts

Pregnant woman who exercise should always be aware of the “Three Don’ts”:

  1. Don’t get exhausted. Listen to your body and exercise within a zone that feels good to you.
  2. Don’t overheat. Avoid exercising outdoors in hot, humid weather; wear comfortable, appropriate clothing and stay out of saunas and hot tubs.
  3. Don’t dehydrate. As a rule of thumb, drink eight ounces of fluid both before and after exercise. You may also want to drink every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Water is fine, or you may choose a sports drink to maximize absorption and supply you and your baby with fluids, carbohydrates, and electrolytes.

Be sure to stop exercising and call you doctor if you experience troubling symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, feeling dizzy or faint, shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, or back or hip pain. If any of your risk factors change during pregnancy (for instance, if you develop elevated blood pressure or gestational diabetes) be sure to ask your physician’s advice about modifying your exercise program.

 

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