Pregnancy and aerobics | Suite101.com

Everybody can exercise, even handicapped people, our elders and pregnant women. Pregnant women who are active and exercise more than three times a week would experience easier labor and delivery.

However, pregnancy should be considered as an extra training since you will carry more weight and will be working harder. The best plan is to get fit before you get pregnant and maintain this level of fitness. This does not mean that you will do the same things at the same pace; this means that you should control your level of exertion or effort and keep it to the usual. Therefore, you might be walking less than two miles and feel as if you have walked four miles. That is ok! Just make sure you can carry on a normal conversation while exercising, and take more safety precautions.

During exercise, more blood flows towards your skin and your muscles and less blood flows towards your internal organs such as your liver or your kidneys. Since a pregnant woman does more work even at rest, it is preferable for her to under-exercise rather than over-exercise without losing the benefits of her former training.

In a few words, limit your workouts to 30 minutes! Do not raise your body temperature too high. Hyperthermia (excessive heat) in the first two months of pregnancy can lead to birth defects; after four months of pregnancy, it can lead to premature labor. Consider that the baby's temperature is greater than its mother's, but contrary to her, it does not have any mechanism to get rid of too much heat. If your temperature after exercising upsets 101 degrees Fahrenheit, take measures to get cooler next time you exercise.

Exercise in early morning when it is cooler, drink more water, wear lighter clothes, exercise for a shorter period of time or exercise less hard. And avoid maximal exertion! Avoid saunas, hot tubes, whirlpools or steam rooms during pregnancy.

Avoid them always after exercising, even while not pregnant!

Avoid depriving your baby from oxygen, so avoid sprinting, or climbing at high altitudes; avoid deep-sea diving because of the pressure. You probably should also avoid endurance exercises such as dancing, running, swimming, except under supervision.

Stay away from activities that can strike your abdomen such as boxing or fencing, or parachute jumping. Stay away from sports involving balance like skiing, skating, riding.

Although you must be conscious of the risks and safety guidelines during your pregnancy, exercise is still recommended since a fit woman will go more easily and more safely through the hard work of pregnancy, labor and delivery.