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Choosing Exercise Activities During Pregnancy
The following information is taken from: http://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/pregnancyfitness/index Choose your sports carefully during pregnancy.
Some activities put you at greater risk for injury than others. The
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends the
following sports during pregnancy: • Brisk walking, about a 12- to 15-minute mile, is great before, during, and after pregnancy. If you're new to exercise, it's a good starting point. As you become more fit you'll probably want to pick up the pace. • Swimming is excellent because it uses both large muscle groups (arms and legs), it works your heart, without straining your ligaments and joints, tones your body, and the water supports your weight. You shouldn't dive during the last two trimesters because your center of gravity has shifted, increasing your risk of slipping. You also want to avoid having your abdomen hitting the water too hard. • Jogging is fine in moderation only if you did it before you became pregnant. Since there's a greater risk of falling down, however, you should do it cautiously. Avoid becoming overheated, and drink plenty of water to replace what you lose through sweating. • A moderately paced game of tennis is acceptable if you played tennis before you became pregnant. You may have problems with balance and sudden stops, so watch your step. Most women find that it's hard to keep up their game as their bellies get bigger in the second and third trimesters. • Golf and bowling are fine as recreation, but
they don't really condition the heart. Again, keeping your balance
during the later months of pregnancy may pose a problem. • Downhill skiing. ACOG advises against downhill skiing at any time during pregnancy because of the danger of serious injuries and hard falls. However, some obstetricians say it may be okay if you're an experienced skiier. If you do choose to ski, stick to gentle slopes and be aware that you may have problems with balance as your belly expands. A safer choice is cross-country skiing, which is also much better for building cardiovascular fitness. Also, try to avoid skiing at very high altitudes — above 10,000 feet — because there's less oxygen available to you and your baby at that height. • Horseback riding. Unless you've been riding for some time, it's not worth the risk to start riding during pregnancy. • Contact sports such as soccer, basketball, and hockey. These sports put you at a high risk of injury from a ball or puck or from a collision with another player. • Scuba diving is definitely off-limits during pregnancy. Diving under water may cause dangerous gas bubbles to form in your baby's developing circulatory system. |