Exercise during pregnancy is essential to keep your body in good shape. Movement improves the respiratory and circulatory systems, improves metabolism and allows you to maintain a proper weight and a beautiful figure. Pregnant women should exercise regularly as it makes it easier for them to bear pregnancy and childbirth. Currently, yoga, pilates and body ball are very fashionable and recommended for pregnant women.

Interview with Katarzyna Sempolska, fitness instructor, author of the program of physical activities for pregnant women "Active 9 months".

Why shouldn't exercise be neglected during pregnancy?

Women who are active bear pregnancy much easier and tire more slowly. Movement improves the circulatory and respiratory systems. During exercise, blood flow through the uterus and placenta increases, which has a positive effect on the development of the fetus. Problems such as premature birth, carrying a pregnancy or misalignment of the fetus are less frequent in future mothers who regularly practice gymnastics. Being active also, of course, improves your metabolism.

Exercising ladies gain less weight and have no problems with obesity after childbirth, and they also experience less frequent stretch marks on the abdomen. Moreover, gymnastics is great for the psyche. It gives women self-confidence and reduces the fear of childbirth. Here I would like to give you a picture of how much effort labor is to give birth. It has been calculated that, on average, we lose 2.3 kcal per minute during it, which is exactly the same as when walking without load, at a speed of 4-5 km / h. Seemingly it is not much, but given that labor lasts continuously for 7 to 10 hours, the effort is comparable to what we would put in for a 40-50 km road without rest! Only regular physical exercise can prepare future mothers well to overcome this "marathon distance". Thanks to gymnastics, women tolerate the effort better and move through the various stages of labor faster. They also feel less pain, which allows them to give up pharmacological anesthesia.

Does exercise during pregnancy harm your baby in any way?

No, quite the opposite. It was found that newborns whose mothers exercised during pregnancy achieve higher Apgar scores compared to newborns of physically inactive women.besides, they get sick much less often. Of course, it is important that the training is properly selected. You should avoid, inter alia, exercises that involve jumping and jerky movements, especially during the third trimester of pregnancy. The effort must not be too intense. Heart rate during training should not exceed 140 beats per minute. When the belly of the future mother becomes visible, you need to give up the position of lying on the stomach and limit exercises to strengthen the rectus abdominis.

How did you come up with the idea of ​​creating the "Active 9 months" exercise program?

I worked as an instructor at the Beata Szol Birth School, then I had contact with pregnant women for the first time. It was a real challenge for me. I had to acquire a lot of knowledge about the physiology of pregnancy and childbirth, methodology, as well as learn the indications and contraindications for conducting this type of classes. Gymnastics in Birth Schools was very quiet then, traditional  for example, ladies stretched their hands up and "turned on the light bulb". In the end, there was always relaxation and breathing exercises. I must admit that as an instructor I could not fulfill myself then, I was missing something new, some fresh breath. After all, fitness developed very quickly, both in the world and in Poland, and the offer for pregnant women was still the same with us.

The idea came back to me when it turned out that I was expecting a baby. Until the 5th month of pregnancy, I conducted pilates and body ball classes. Then, when my protruding belly prevented me from training normally, I modified the exercises for myself and other pregnant women. I also added yoga elements to the program.

Why did you combine Pilates, body ball and yoga?

Because these types of exercises are very fashionable at the moment, but also safe, and they perfectly meet the needs of future mothers. Pilates alleviates and prevents low back pain, which most pregnant women complain about. Yoga perfectly stretches, and gymnastics with a large ball improves overall fitness, strengthens the pelvic floor muscles and does not put additional strain on the spine. I complement the classes with breathing training and relaxation exercises.

Can all moms-to-be exercise?

There are no contraindications to exercise in a he althy physiological pregnant woman. The obstacles may be, for example, bleeding, severe anemia, hypertension, diabetes, infections or multiple pregnancies. Before the expectant mother decides to train, she should ask the obstetrician's gynecologist for permission. In the 9 Months Active program, exercises are tailored to each stage of pregnancy, so you can exercise until your due date. One of the ladies came to the classes even after 11 days from the appointed timedeadline!

It should be emphasized, however, that it is important whether the woman was physically active also before she became pregnant. Future mothers exercising regularly may continue training, they should only reduce its intensity and introduce special exercises in preparation for childbirth. Women who are only active now, when they are expecting a baby, are offered to start low-intensity exercise no sooner than 4-6. month of pregnancy. I also recommend that they limit their training in the last month before the birth.

How often should pregnant women exercise?

The World He alth Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of 30 minutes a day. The classes I run last 50 minutes. I encourage mums-to-be to exercise at least twice a week. Some appear more often.

Are there any specific indications for exercise attire?

It should definitely be airy and comfortable so that the expectant mother does not overheat during training. As for footwear, I recommend freedom: either shoes or bare feet. It is true that during pregnancy, relaxin, a hormone that relaxes the joints, works and women are more likely to suffer from injuries. On the other hand, women expecting a baby have their legs swollen, and at the end of pregnancy, lacing the shoe is sometimes impossible without help (belly is too big and it is difficult to bend over). The "Active 9 months" training does not burden the knee and ankle joints. The ladies mainly sit on the ball or practice in low positions on the mat, so they are not in danger of injury.

Category:

Pregnancy