Summary: Should you stop all exercise if you\’re pregnant? Should I rest in bed when I\’m at risk for miscarriage or premature birth? Should I stay in bed after giving birth? The answer may not be what you think. Should you stop exercising if you are pregnant? Should I rest in bed when I\’m at risk for miscarriage or premature birth? Should I stay in bed after giving birth? The answer may not be what you think.
As usual, we asked Fang Huibin, the attending physician of the Department of Gynecology at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, to introduce to you the circumstances under which you can exercise after pregnancy and which exercises are suitable for you. Although everyone seems to think that you should stay in bed when you are at risk of miscarriage or premature birth, this is not the case.
Based on current research, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that bed rest is ineffective in preventing preterm birth and should not be routinely recommended. In fact, due to physiological changes, pregnant women are in a hypercoagulable state, bed rest or have limited physical activity, which increases the risk of thrombosis, osteoporosis and physical disorders.
Bed rest is only required in rare cases, and ambulation will be considered in most cases. If you already maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as exercise and good eating habits, you should continue to maintain these good habits while trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and postpartum breastfeeding. If your old lifestyle isn\’t that healthy, now is the perfect time to make a change.
At any time in life, exercise can maintain and improve cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce obesity and related diseases, which are among the benefits of exercise.
The US Department of Health and Public Health Service recommends in the 2008 National Physical Activity Guidelines that healthy pregnant and postpartum women engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (walking, etc.) per week, and the exercise should be dispersed. As for those vigorous aerobic activities (running/jogging, etc.), if this is your old exercise habit, you can continue, but discuss with your healthcare provider how and when to make adjustments.
According to current research, exercise during pregnancy does not have a significant impact on the fetus. Regardless of whether the pregnant mother has liked exercise before, both mother and baby can tolerate 30 minutes of strenuous exercise well. The benefits of exercise during pregnancy can improve or maintain physical health, reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, reduce the probability of cesarean section and vaginal surgery (forceps, etc.), and facilitate postpartum recovery.
Walking, swimming, stationary bike (no resistance training), low-intensity aerobics, modified yoga, modified plank, running/jogging, strength training, etc. (for pregnant women without pregnancy complications)
PS1: Certain postures in yoga can cause reduced venous return and hypotension and should be avoided. So don’t think that pregnancy yoga is all the rage right now. After you are pregnant, you can search for yoga videos online and learn by yourself. Please go to a qualified yoga place for pregnant women to learn systematically.
PS2: running/Jogging, strength training, etc. Pregnant women who often participate in these sports before pregnancy should be safe, but it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Contact sports (such as ice hockey, boxing, football, and basketball), sports with a high risk of falls (such as downhill skiing, skateboarding, surfing, mountain biking, gymnastics, and horseback riding), diving, skydiving, hot yoga, or hot pads (mainly Hot environment is not suitable for pregnant women).
Stop practicing if one of the following situations occurs:
Vaginal bleeding; regular, painful contractions; amniotic fluid leakage; difficulty breathing before exercise; dizziness, headache, chest pain; muscle weakness that affects balance; pain or swelling in the lower legs.
Pregnant women should exercise caution if they have the following conditions:
1. Cervical insufficiency or cerclage surgery;
2. Multiple pregnancy carries the risk of premature birth;
3. Placenta previa after 26 weeks;
4. Continuous bleeding in the middle and late stages;
5. Premature rupture of fetal membranes;
6. Preeclampsia – high blood pressure during pregnancy;
7. Severe medical complications, such as hemodynamically significant heart disease, restrictive lung disease, and severe anemia.
Well, I hope that after reading this article, pregnant mothers can exercise happily and safely, give birth to healthy babies, and restore a healthy body.