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PREGNANCY
& FITNESS
 The
following article is a small excerpt from one of my books.
I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get
into the best shape of your life.
If you are pregnant and wish to begin a fitness
routine you should first consult with your doctor and tell him what you
plan to do. Once he approves of your plan, you should consult with a
certified personal trainer who specializes and understands prenatal
exercise and can design a program that is fit for your needs. You should
try to exercise about 3 times a week for between 20 and 30 minutes and
listen to your body. If you feel faint, dizzy, headaches, blurred
vision, nausea, chest pain, vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain, you
should stop exercising and consult your doctor.
Providing all is well you should try to exercise between 50 and 80
percent of your maximum target rate when training. To calculate your
maximum heart rate simply subtract your age from 220. This figure is
your maximum heart rate and depending on your fitness level you can then
calculate where your heart rate should be during exercise to gain the
maximum benefit.
During pregnancy a woman’s body goes through many changes and because
of these changes you will have to adapt your workout and modify your
program to address some of these changes. These changes include a
resting heartbeat of about 10 to 15 beats per minute higher than normal.
You can use the formula in the book
‘Get Fit Stay Fit’
to
more accurately figure out your maximum heart rate. Your blood flow to
your muscles decreases therefore your aerobic capacity decreases and as
you move along in your term your aerobic capacity diminishes further,
and as you become bigger your centre of gravity changes. With all these
changes going on, you should prepare yourself to go slower in your
workouts.
You may also experience a change in your eating habits as physical
changes begin to affect your appetite. Early in your pregnancy, morning
sickness due to a certain hormone may make it impossible for you to eat
anything but crackers. You may also want to adjust your workouts to the
afternoon if you are sick in the mornings, and eat smaller meals
throughout the day. Taking a prenatal vitamin supplement may be
recommended by your doctor to ensure you are getting all the appropriate
nutrition for you and your baby but remember supplements do not take the
place of a good balanced diet.
If you train outdoors by running or cycling you may want to consider
moving indoors. By training inside you can avoid the outdoor hazards
like potholes, uneven ground and cars that if you fall could hurt you
and your baby. You are also able to better control your body
temperature, hydration and the level to which you train.
Becoming pregnant is also not the time to start a new rigorous training
regiment. If you are a beginner you should take it easy and listen to
the health care professional who is advising you. If you are already an
athlete of some degree here are some tips to watch out for.
- Avoid all contact sports
- Avoid scuba diving because it can decrease the pressure in your
uterus
- Avoid training in high altitudes which can deprive your fetus of
necessary oxygen
- Avoid exercising outdoors especially on hot or cold days
Exercise during your pregnancy can give you many benefits. It can ease
or prevent any back pain you may experience, it can help increase your
energy level, prepare you for the demands of giving birth and help you
on your way to get back into shape after you have given birth.
If you are performing regular exercise and miss one of your periods, but
don’t suspect you are pregnant you may be experiencing amenorrhea. Do
not ignore this. Consult with your doctor. Prolonged amenorrhea can
interfere with your health, by making you three times more prone to
stress fractures, premature osteoporosis, possibly a higher risk of
heart disease and you may not be able to conceive easily in the future
when you want to. Health care professionals have different thoughts to
treating amenorrhea. Some have a wait and see attitude and that your
body will adapt to the extra stresses of working out and eating a lower
calorie diet and will reverse itself. Others feel you should change your
diet by gaining a minimum of 5 pounds and limit the amount you exercise.
This will hopefully get your system back on track.
I know you want to get in shape and look great. Whatever your fitness
goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m
here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness
level. You will learn how to select and combine your diet with exercise,
so that you can be the best you can be.
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