Women should be encouraged to exercise during pregnancy, writes Giles Warrington
UNTIL RECENTLY, the idea of women engaging in regular exercise during pregnancy was frowned upon and openly discouraged, for fear of what damage was being done both to the mother and to the unborn child.
Pregnant women were told to radically cut down their activity levels or to avoid exercise altogether, with bed rest being commonly recommended.
Pregnancy seems like the ideal time to sit back and put your feet up - it has been suggested that up to 60 per cent of women are inactive during pregnancy.
In part, this may be due to a number of barriers to physical activity during pregnancy, which may include fatigue, anxiety, depression, weight gain and various aches and pains (50-90 per cent of women experience some form of back pain during pregnancy).
This is despite the fact that regular physical activity has previously been shown to contribute positively to the physical and psychological health and wellbeing in non-pregnant women.
The adverse impact of inactivity on general health may be a particular problem for pregnant women.
More recently, our knowledge and understanding has increased dramatically, and exercise has become an accepted practice during pregnancy.
Exercise is now widely recommended and, more importantly, a safe practice for the vast majority of expectant mothers to engage in.
Participation in regular exercise can have a number of positive benefits for both mother and child.
There appears to be no reason why women who are in good health should not engage in exercise during pregnancy, and, in fact, they should be openly encouraged to do so.
Nevertheless, some pregnant women may not be able to exercise during pregnancy due to specific conditions or complications - so it is important to consult with your doctor or obstetrician beforehand.
During pregnancy, exercise will help you stay in shape by building muscle tone as well as improving your general stamina and strength.
Regular exercise can also help you physically prepare and cope more effectively with pregnancy, and the exhausting demands of labour and delivery.
There is evidence to suggest that weight-bearing exercise throughout pregnancy can reduce the length of labour and decrease delivery complications.
Participation in physical activity and exercise during pregnancy has also been shown to have a number of other positive health benefits as it also:
• Promotes positive mood state.
• Enhances energy levels and reduces tiredness.
• Helps the body cope with weight gain.
• Improves posture and helps reduce backache.
• Decreases constipation, bloating and swelling.
• Reduces blood pressure circulation problems.
• Makes it easier to regain pre-pregnancy fitness levels.
In the majority of cases with a normal pregnancy, engaging in regular exercise is safe for both mother and foetus, with the health benefits far outweighing any potential risk.
To gain the health benefits associated with exercise, women should therefore be encouraged to initiate, engage and continue to participate in regular exercise before, during and after pregnancy, as well as after childbirth.
Next week we will look at recommended forms of exercise during pregnancy, as well as specific training guidelines
• Dr Giles Warrington is a sport and exercise physiologist and lecturer in the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU