Fitness, medical experts give tips on do’s, don’ts of exercise during pregnancy – Yahoo! Canada News
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Tue Oct 6, 7:46 PM
By Lauren La Rose, The Canadian Press
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TORONTO – Brad Schoenfeld has made it his business to help women get into shape, and fitness leading into, during and following pregnancy is no exception.
The fitness expert and author, who owns and operates the Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale, N.Y., recently paid a visit north of the border to share tips with fellow workout professionals on the do’s and don’ts of maternal fitness.
“You can do damage to yourself if you’re training, but if you don’t train properly when you’re pregnant you can not only damage yourself, you can harm a fetus, and that is a very, very grave thing,” said Schoenfeld in an interview at the Can-Fit-Pro conference and trade show in Toronto.
When it comes to what pregnant women should avoid, Schoenfeld has a list of three basic don’ts: don’t get exhausted, dehydrated or overheated. Fatigue should be of particular concern for both pregnant women and those in their company while exercising, he added, noting that any signs of dizziness, disorientation or significant heartburn are clear signs to stop.
He also advises against the use of unstable surface training, like large exercise balls.
“When you’re on an unstable surface, you’re supporting much of (your body) through the core and by changing that it does increase the possibility of a woman falling off,” said Schoenfeld, author of “Sculpting Her Body Perfect” (Human Kinetics).
Prior to even suiting up, Schoenfeld said it’s critical pregnant women first consult with a physician. However, once they have been given the all-clear doesn’t mean they’ve been given carte blanche.
“Basically, what the exercise will be dictated by is what you’ve done beforehand.”
A position paper on exercise and pregnancy by the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine says that women with low-risk pregnancies who have been previously active may continue exercise during the first trimester to a maximum of 30 to 40 minutes, three to four times a week.
Aerobic and strength conditioning exercises are recommended, including brisk walking, stationary cycling and swimming.
The academy also recommends the use of the PARmed-X (Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination) for Pregnancy tool, a guideline for health screening prior to taking part in prenatal fitness classes or exercises.
But paper co-author Dr. Julia Alleyne said there’s preliminary data that shows an avid exerciser who is well-conditioned may be able to exercise beyond 30 minutes at a time.
“We are seeing that not only is there no adverse effect to exercise, but our current guidelines – which are conservative – may be able to be stretched with appropriate monitoring and surveillance,” said Alleyne, a sports medicine physician, physiotherapist and medical director of Sport C.A.R.E. at Toronto’s Women’s College Hospital. The hospital is launching a clinic next week focused on exercise and pregnancy targeting women leading up to, during and following pregnancy.
Preliminary research even suggests that in situations where there is a moderate risk, such as a woman who is diabetic or carrying twins, low-level activity is still encouraged, she said.
However, Alleyne said women not previously engaged in exercise should avoid doing so until the second trimester.
“Your heart and circulation are about 30 per cent greater volume when you’re pregnant, so to add exercise to that, the first trimester is not the time to do it because of the amount of changes that are already going on.”
The paper notes that research has found women who exercised throughout pregnancy reported less stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression. They also found a significant decrease in musculoskeletal complaints and associated physical discomforts like nausea and leg cramps.
Schoenfeld said there should be an increased focus not solely on core training but also on building core endurance, due to the shifting of gravity in a pregnant woman’s body and increased strain on lower back muscles. He suggests women incorporate static moves, such as one known as the plank, which involve holding and maintaining posture and muscles.
“The cool thing about it is that you can do a plank if they can only do five seconds, rest, do another five seconds, rest,” he said. “It’s not like the ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy.”
Schoenfeld said despite the benefits to an active pregnancy, he cautions pregnant women and those training them to err on the side of caution.
“Where you can kind of push past it, (when) you’re not pregnant you say, ‘Come on, you can tough that out.’ (Pregnancy’s) not a time to tough anything out because you just don’t know,” he said.
“Even if 99 per cent of the time your person’s fine, that one per cent of the time is never worth taking that risk, and there’s no need to. You’re not looking to set the record in the 40-yard dash during pregnancy.”
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That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.
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