Recently, popular actresses in the entertainment industry posted pregnancy fitness photos. For example, Yao Chen, who is 7 months pregnant, shared a set of photos of herself practicing yoga under the guidance of a coach on Weibo. Michelle Chen also posted beautiful swimming photos. For a time, online comments flooded in, and everyone expressed their opinions. Some said they were worried about the fetus in their belly and believed that such a \”fight\” would \”mobilize the fetus\”; while some netizens believed that pregnant women should stretch their muscles more. More exercise can help with childbirth.
So, can pregnant women exercise during pregnancy? How can I exercise safely? Ling Wen, director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Changsha Third Hospital, said that exercise and rest are healthy lifestyles for pregnant women. Moderate exercise can not only improve edema during pregnancy, promote gastrointestinal motility, prevent constipation, and facilitate normal delivery, but also make postpartum recovery easier. Of course, exercise must be carried out under the guidance of doctors and professionals, and exercise methods must be reasonably arranged according to different stages of pregnancy.
It is best not to exercise strenuously in the first 3 months of pregnancy because the fetus is still in the embryonic stage and implantation is not yet stable. The amount of exercise should be small at this time to avoid miscarriage. Walking is a good option. Female friends with a history of recurrent miscarriages are advised not to do heavy physical labor.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, when the fetus has stably implanted and the placenta has formed, it is recommended that pregnant women can engage in yoga, swimming, aerobics and other programs suitable for pregnant women according to their own conditions. Yoga, in particular, can help exercise the pelvic floor muscles of pregnant women, shorten the labor process, improve the success rate of vaginal delivery, and is also beneficial to the body\’s postpartum recovery and reducing postpartum depression. However, it is worth reminding that when pregnant women choose to swim, they should go to a swimming pool with clean water to avoid contracting vaginitis; they should not go to a crowded swimming pool to avoid being hit.
In late pregnancy, excessive exercise may cause uterine contractions, leading to problems such as premature labor. It is recommended that pregnant women should reduce the intensity of exercise and walking is more appropriate. Walking can help the baby enter the pelvis, relax the pelvic ligaments, and prepare for delivery.
Director Ling Wen reminded that for \”special\” pregnant women, such as expectant mothers suffering from diseases, the method of choosing exercise should be \”specific\”. For example, pregnant women with diabetes should eat before exercising and gradually increase the amount of exercise half an hour later; pregnant women with hypertension should appropriately reduce the amount of exercise and monitor blood pressure and heart rate during exercise. If conditions permit, fetal heart rate monitoring can be performed; pregnant women with habitual miscarriages should rest in bed in the first trimester and should not engage in strenuous activities in the second and third trimesters; pregnant women with heart disease, placenta previa, signs of premature birth, and a history of premature birth should not do strenuous activities in the third trimester. , should focus on rest.
It should be noted that during exercise, if vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain, dizziness, reduced fetal movement, etc. occur, or long-term, sustained and regular uterine contractions occur, you should stop exercising and seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Correspondent Dai Jing