Should I be exercising during pregnancy?
What type of exercise can I do?
What exercise should I avoid?
What has happened to my posture?
Should I be exercising during pregnancy?
Definitely! You would never run a marathon without training for it, and as indicated by research, training for birth is just as essential. Pregnancy is a special time during your life, both for you and for the future life of your baby.
For you, this often entails unique bodily changes and discomforts, including painful breasts, morning sickness and pelvic discomfort - changes which once detracted women from exercise. In fact, exercise is proven to alleviate these ongoing discomforts and furthermore, reaps significant benefits during labour. Studies have concluded that regular exercise can shorten labour by approximately one third, and decrease by a considerable 75 percent the incidence of maternal exhaustion and the need for caesarean and forceps intervention during the delivery.
Furthermore, the psychological benefit is immense. By maintaining fitness and looking great, overall well-being improves. The benefits of regular exercise are compelling, to the point where all women who maintain an uncomplicated pregnancy are recommended to exercise most days, if not every day of the week.
In 2002, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) published their latest pregnancy recommendations which stated that a healthy pregnant woman with a non-complicated pregnancy, not only could exercise, but should exercise.
