|
Physical Activity During Pregnancy
• Walking, swimming, some forms of yoga, tone and stretch, can be done at any stage of pregnancy. • It's not sensible to take part in sports or exercise with a risk of falling, or hard physical contact with other players. • Avoid getting dehydrated (being thirsty), or over-tired, or over-hot. Pregnancy makes you more likely to feel dizzy or faint, so sit down and stop if you feel at all sick or weak. Take care of your joints and ligaments: The pelvis needs to be able to 'open up' to allow the baby to get through during labour and birth. To allow this, the ligaments in your pelvis soften and become more stretchable, under the influence of the hormone relaxin and other pregnancy hormones. Ligaments are groups of strong, elastic-like tissue connecting the bones of your skeleton at the joints. When you get to the extreme 'end' of any movement you make, the ligament tightens, and prevents further stretching. All other ligaments in your body also makes softer. The risk is that in pregnancy it's easier to take the stretching progression too far, and end up straining a ligament, particularly if you are not used to exercise. If you over-stretch you feel pain. This is your body telling you to stop. You can strengthen your back, and avoid aching, by learning to 'stand tall'. Stand with feet apart, let the weight of the body sink through to your feet. Imagine string from the top of your head drawing you up towards the ceiling. Feel your spine lengthening and broadening. If you ever have to stand, remember this pose. It helps you correct any tendency to slump or fall, and stops you from sagging into your tummy. If you sit for long periods, tuck a small pillow into the small of your back to help you sit straight and comfortably, without putting strain on your back. Look out for aqua natal classes at your local swimming pool. These should be run by a midwife who has had some specialist training, or an obstetric physiotherapist with a midwife present. If you're already used to aerobics, then carry on. Tell your instructor you are pregnant, and avoid doing any exercises which risk straining your back. This isn't the time for anyone to start doing this form of exercise, though. In later pregnancy, after about five months, stick to low-impact aerobics, concentrating on stretching and toning, without any jogging or jumping. Don't do any abdominal sit-up exercises. Stop before you feel really tired by the exercise.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
