By Mariam Kilpatrick of Physio Effect
The Ante-Natal Period
THE thought of exercising during pregnancy can be off-putting for many would-be mums, so getting active may need an extra dose of motivation. However, the pay-off is huge. During pregnancy, the body goes through enormous changes (literally and figuratively speaking). Hormones run amok as the body prepares for the arrival of your baby. These hormones relax muscle tone and ligaments, allowing the pelvis to open and change in shape. The digestive system is affected by this, which may cause heartburn and constipation. Some women find that fatigue is a big issue, especially in the first trimester. This is because your heart rate is increased by 16-20bpm and your blood volume increases dramatically, which can cause anaemia. Lower-back pain and pelvic girdle pain can happen during pregnancy due to the stretching of pelvic ligaments, the abdominal muscles and increased loading and weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. There is evidence to show that exercise is beneficial during pregnancy and these benefits include:
- Prevention and management of musculoskeletal pain
- Improved sleep
- Lowering the risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia
- Reduced anxiety and depression
How much and what type of exercise?
It is important to consider what your baseline activity levels are when deciding how to exercise during pregnancy. The aim for exercise is to maintain or moderately improve, rather than achieve peak fitness. In other words, if you were not a runner already before you were pregnant – then signing up to a marathon is certainly not recommended. In uncomplicated pregnancies, aerobic and strength conditioning is ideal and moderate-intensity physical activity is safe and should be encouraged. If you are unsure, it is important to discuss this with your health care provider or physiotherapist.
The post-natal period
The weeks and months after giving birth can be challenging with a new baby in tow. The last thing you would feel like is finding the time to exercise when you hardly find the time to sleep. The ironic thing, though, is that exercise can improve your sleep patterns and will help you feel better, both emotionally and physically. It is important to remember that muscle and ligament laxity can persist as long as six months – even longer if you are breast-feeding. The complications of this would be continued lower-back pain and/or pelvic girdle pain after the labour was well as pelvic floor dysfunction. Benefits of exercise after pregnancy include:
- Pain management, prevention of stress incontinence (associated with pelvic floor weakness/dysfunction)
- Aid in the repair of abdominal separation
- Maintain bone density
- Restore muscle tone and strength
- Help with weight loss and prevent obesity
- Help reduce anxiety and post-natal depression
Before you begin exercising, it is recommended that you have had your six-week post-natal check-up from your doctor. If you’ve had a C-section, this take be a little longer to allow your muscles to knit back together after the surgery and is generally between 8-10 weeks.
Guidelines
Pre-pregnancy exercise regimes can be gradually resumed as soon as medically safe – but it varies person to person. Conservatively and in uncomplicated pregnancies (ie non C-section, episiotomy or other muscle injury on top of normal labour), exercise guidelines are as follows:
- 0-6 weeks: Gentle exercises eg walking, pelvic floor exercises and deep abdominal training as soon as comfortable
- 6-12 weeks: Low-impact exercises such as Pilates
- 12 weeks and onwards: High-intensity training, moderate-high impact as long as there are no signs of stress incontinence which would indicate pelvic floor dysfunction.
Here at Physio Effect we provide
physiotherapy services for during and after
your pregnancy. This includes treatment for
lower back and/or pelvic girdle pain. Our
Chartered Physiotherapists are also specially
trained in ante and post natal Pilates, which
caters for all stages of pregnancy and after
the birth of your baby. We work closely with
our partners at Everyday Athlete Gym to give
guidance for safe and effective exercise and
developing programmes to tailor to your
needs and goals. For more information on
our services, call: 0141 230 4766 or email:
reception@physioeffect.co.uk
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