Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy
Can I exercise during pregnancy? I felt like this is a question many women ask, but few ever get a direct, straight-forward answer. I want to shed some light and truth on to this topic to put women at piece about whether or not exercise is safe and healthy for them during pregnancy. The most common type of exercise most women are interested in during pregnancy is often aerobic exercise. This is understandable as most women do want to keep the amount of weight gained during their pregnancy to a minimal. That is why in this article I will be specifically addressing this area of training
First let me begin by clearing the air and informing women that through efforts researchers have determined the alterations normally associated with aerobic exercise are not detrimental to pregnancy outcomes. But know that we have determined that aerobic exercise does not have a detrimental effect on the pregnancy term the question becomes what are the guidelines to follow to insure aerobic exercise is both safe and productive for pregnant individuals.
The first step in prescribing exercise to any woman that is considering aerobic exercise during pregnancy is for that woman to consult their attending physician to verify they are able to participate in aerobic exercise. Prior to beginning a regimen the woman should complete a brief screening questionnaire. Next it is vital to understand the acute physiological responses to exercise when pregnant. During aerobic exercise utero-placental blood flow decreases slightly, but the increased oxygen transport capacity with increased plasma and red cell volume maintains adequate nutrient and oxygen to the developing fetus. Studies have also proven that the hormone changes associated with acute exercise are not associated with fetal demise, premature labor, or adverse pregnancy outcomes. Also the normal hyperthermic response of exercise does not lead to birth effects or disorders this is because the mother has a lower body temperature, increased skin blood flow, and a lower sweating threshold which all compensate for this hyperthermic response. Most importantly because I find it to be the most common worry for most mothers is that stress from high impact pounding does not cause adverse pregnancy outcomes
In fact not only have studies confirmed that exercise during pregnancy is safe for the expecting mother, but it is also beneficial in a variety of ways. Recent studies have shown that consistent participation in aerobic activity throughout the gestation is often correlated with improved results for both mother and the child. The mother experiences improved mood and self-esteem, appropriate weight gain, and an improved cardiovascular system as well as muscle tone, better posture, and decreased pains often associated with pregnancies. In addition regular exercise translated into birth dates closer to the estimated due date, shorter labor and delivery time, and a quicker rate of recovery. As for the child, offspring exposed to regular maternal exercise were leaner, and resulted in improved academic and athletic performance as children and adolescents.
Now its time to get to what you have really been waiting for what then should I do to receive all these wonderful benefits, well it is much easier that you would believe. Remember as well that these recommendations that follow are from professionals in the field of health and fitness as well as doctors apart of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. I recommend that a pregnant women should aim to participate in 30minutes or more of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise 3 or more days of the week absent of course of any pregnancy complications. It is important to point out that in the first trimester you should limit yourself to no more than 3times per week and no more than 55minutes as there have been some studies suggesting excess exercise during the first trimester can increase risk for the delivery of a small-for-gestation size baby which increase the child’s chances for cardiovascular disease and obesity later in life. Following the first trimester their is not really a limit to the amount or duration of exercise for the pregnant woman with in reason of course.
For those sedentary prior to pregnancy I recommend you begin with 5minutes of walking three times a week and increase your duration by 5minutes each week as long as no adverse symptoms begin to surface. If you were already exercising prior to your pregnancy then I would have no reservations in recommending you continue your current aerobic exercise routine.
As far as mode of training goes I recommend sticking to as low-intensity and low-impact exercise as much as possible and counter this decrease in intensity with much longer duration of exercise. Forms of low-intensity and low-impact exercises include swimming, walking, jogging, spinning, and most aerobic equipment. Please do be careful though when entering the later stages of your pregnancy as hormone changes during this time do cause joint laxity which increase risk for orthopedic injuries.
So there you have it exercise during pregnancy is safe and beneficial. Stay within your limitations and you should experience no sort of detriment as a result of maternal exercise.
References:
ACOG Committee Decision. Number 267, January 2002: exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Obstet Gynecol. 2002 Jan;99 (1):171-3.
Clapp JF, 3rd. The Effects of Maternal Exercise on Fetal Oxygenation and Feto-Placental Growth. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2003 Sep 22;110 Suppl 1:S80-5
Clapp JF, 3rd. Exercise During Preganancy. A Clinical Update. Clin Sports Med. 2000 Apr;19(2):273-86
Impact of Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Postpartum on Chronic Disease Risk. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 May;38(5):989-1006
May L, Glaros, AG, Yeh, H-W, Clapp, JF, Gustafson, KM. Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy Influences Fetal Cardiac Autonomic Control of Heart Rate and Heart Variability. Early Hum Dev. 2010;86(4):17.
First let me begin by clearing the air and informing women that through efforts researchers have determined the alterations normally associated with aerobic exercise are not detrimental to pregnancy outcomes. But know that we have determined that aerobic exercise does not have a detrimental effect on the pregnancy term the question becomes what are the guidelines to follow to insure aerobic exercise is both safe and productive for pregnant individuals.
The first step in prescribing exercise to any woman that is considering aerobic exercise during pregnancy is for that woman to consult their attending physician to verify they are able to participate in aerobic exercise. Prior to beginning a regimen the woman should complete a brief screening questionnaire. Next it is vital to understand the acute physiological responses to exercise when pregnant. During aerobic exercise utero-placental blood flow decreases slightly, but the increased oxygen transport capacity with increased plasma and red cell volume maintains adequate nutrient and oxygen to the developing fetus. Studies have also proven that the hormone changes associated with acute exercise are not associated with fetal demise, premature labor, or adverse pregnancy outcomes. Also the normal hyperthermic response of exercise does not lead to birth effects or disorders this is because the mother has a lower body temperature, increased skin blood flow, and a lower sweating threshold which all compensate for this hyperthermic response. Most importantly because I find it to be the most common worry for most mothers is that stress from high impact pounding does not cause adverse pregnancy outcomes
In fact not only have studies confirmed that exercise during pregnancy is safe for the expecting mother, but it is also beneficial in a variety of ways. Recent studies have shown that consistent participation in aerobic activity throughout the gestation is often correlated with improved results for both mother and the child. The mother experiences improved mood and self-esteem, appropriate weight gain, and an improved cardiovascular system as well as muscle tone, better posture, and decreased pains often associated with pregnancies. In addition regular exercise translated into birth dates closer to the estimated due date, shorter labor and delivery time, and a quicker rate of recovery. As for the child, offspring exposed to regular maternal exercise were leaner, and resulted in improved academic and athletic performance as children and adolescents.
Now its time to get to what you have really been waiting for what then should I do to receive all these wonderful benefits, well it is much easier that you would believe. Remember as well that these recommendations that follow are from professionals in the field of health and fitness as well as doctors apart of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. I recommend that a pregnant women should aim to participate in 30minutes or more of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise 3 or more days of the week absent of course of any pregnancy complications. It is important to point out that in the first trimester you should limit yourself to no more than 3times per week and no more than 55minutes as there have been some studies suggesting excess exercise during the first trimester can increase risk for the delivery of a small-for-gestation size baby which increase the child’s chances for cardiovascular disease and obesity later in life. Following the first trimester their is not really a limit to the amount or duration of exercise for the pregnant woman with in reason of course.
For those sedentary prior to pregnancy I recommend you begin with 5minutes of walking three times a week and increase your duration by 5minutes each week as long as no adverse symptoms begin to surface. If you were already exercising prior to your pregnancy then I would have no reservations in recommending you continue your current aerobic exercise routine.
As far as mode of training goes I recommend sticking to as low-intensity and low-impact exercise as much as possible and counter this decrease in intensity with much longer duration of exercise. Forms of low-intensity and low-impact exercises include swimming, walking, jogging, spinning, and most aerobic equipment. Please do be careful though when entering the later stages of your pregnancy as hormone changes during this time do cause joint laxity which increase risk for orthopedic injuries.
So there you have it exercise during pregnancy is safe and beneficial. Stay within your limitations and you should experience no sort of detriment as a result of maternal exercise.
References:
ACOG Committee Decision. Number 267, January 2002: exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Obstet Gynecol. 2002 Jan;99 (1):171-3.
Clapp JF, 3rd. The Effects of Maternal Exercise on Fetal Oxygenation and Feto-Placental Growth. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2003 Sep 22;110 Suppl 1:S80-5
Clapp JF, 3rd. Exercise During Preganancy. A Clinical Update. Clin Sports Med. 2000 Apr;19(2):273-86
Impact of Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Postpartum on Chronic Disease Risk. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 May;38(5):989-1006
May L, Glaros, AG, Yeh, H-W, Clapp, JF, Gustafson, KM. Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy Influences Fetal Cardiac Autonomic Control of Heart Rate and Heart Variability. Early Hum Dev. 2010;86(4):17.
Ugh Cardio!
One of the biggest problems I see with clients (and I am guility at times of this too) is the lack of enthusiasim when it comes to training one's cardiovascular system. And lets be honest cardio does SUCK. I mean who really wants to be out of breath and dripping with sweats that just doesn't seem enticing at all, but the cardiovascular system is very important and let us face the truth when it comes to longevity and aging well your heart and vascular system are the key component to making that happen.
The great thing about the day and age we live in today is the variety that society has provided us with and this is the same for training one has more options then getting on a treadmill and running for 30mins. To many times this is our idea of cardiovascular training. When the truth is the whole point of any cardiovascular workout is to improve your hearts efficiency at working at a particular percentage of you maximum heart rate this increases the strength of your heart because if you can operate at 80% of your maximum heart rate without much effort then while you are at rest you heart is going to be operating a much less lower percentage of your maximum heart rate meaning your heart will have to work alot less to maintain this. Thus your cardio has improved. So in getting to the point cardiovascular workouts do not have to be done on the treadmill or even running try to do something you enjoy such as playing basketball, raquetball, tennis, or hiking. The important part is that you get your heart rate up and you try to maintain it for 30mins or more, but it doesn't matter what you are doing(as I explained in better detailed in my training article Modes of Training: Does it Really Matter, discussing the bodies response to different stresses)
The great thing about the day and age we live in today is the variety that society has provided us with and this is the same for training one has more options then getting on a treadmill and running for 30mins. To many times this is our idea of cardiovascular training. When the truth is the whole point of any cardiovascular workout is to improve your hearts efficiency at working at a particular percentage of you maximum heart rate this increases the strength of your heart because if you can operate at 80% of your maximum heart rate without much effort then while you are at rest you heart is going to be operating a much less lower percentage of your maximum heart rate meaning your heart will have to work alot less to maintain this. Thus your cardio has improved. So in getting to the point cardiovascular workouts do not have to be done on the treadmill or even running try to do something you enjoy such as playing basketball, raquetball, tennis, or hiking. The important part is that you get your heart rate up and you try to maintain it for 30mins or more, but it doesn't matter what you are doing(as I explained in better detailed in my training article Modes of Training: Does it Really Matter, discussing the bodies response to different stresses)
High Intensity Interval Training: Fatastic
Okay so maybe the picture to the left is a little bit of an exaggeration fo what HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training can do for you, but this method of training is very effective and efficient at not only cutting that excess body weight, but also making sure part of that body weight you are losing is fat.
HIIT is a very popular and very effective training method that is being used in gyms by both normal people and elite athletes across the United States. The reason for the success of HIIT is because it allows you to do cardio for only 20mins at a time with usually only about half of the 20mins actually spent working while still recieving the benefits of a steady-state cardio program that is most practiced in todays gyms. HIIT can be done with a variety of modes anything from jump roping to burpees. The application of HIIT can be done in two basic methods I will explain both. But a basic overview of HIIT is a predetermined total amount of time is selected say 20mins then one decides a work interval length and a rest interval length. Most HIIT programs use a ratio of 2:1 meaning that for every 2mins of work done one would rest for 1min. This allows you to only work about half of the total 20mins, but by working at a higher intensity you burn more calories per pound of bodyweight allowing you to be more efficient as I talked about earlier. Now being that is is High-Intensity Interval Training one has to be willing to give a high level of effort but only for a small amount of time. Intensity can be hard to determine without something to actually gauge your effor with. This is where the two different methods of applying HIIT comes into play.
The first method of doing HIIT training is done by selecting a predetermined work and rest interval length based on a specific ration such as 2:1. The individual then performs these intervals till they have reached there total amount of time. This form is effective and does work, but one can have trouble determining intensity differences between the work and rest intervals. It also leaves no room for fatigue because the deeper you go into the total amount of time the more fatigue you are going to experience after each work interval making the rest interval to short of a time period to be able to recover to go again at a high level of intensity at the nex work interval. But if you are an individual with limited resources this is a great way to use HIIT. Here is an example of a 20min HIIT routine done with a jump rope.
Work Interval Rest Interval
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 1min
The second method of doing HIIT is a much more accurate form because you can gauge your intensity as well as account for fatigue. In this method one wears a heart rate monitor which we will use to gauge the intensity of the work interval as well as the rest interval. When using this method one will determine their maximum heart rate and will calculate both their 45% MHR and their 65% MHR. Knowing these numbers determine your rest and work intervals. One will select a predetermined amount of total time as before and then also a predetermined length for their work interval which will never change. The individual will then perform one working interval making sure his intensity is great enough to get his heart rate to or above 65% of his MHR this insures he is using enough intensity. After completeing the work interval the individual will then monitor his heart rate until it falls to 45% of his MHR this is the rest interval the time it takes to fall back to 45%. After the heart rate falls one will then begin another work interval. When doing this method you will notice that each rest interval will increase in length of time because of fatigue but this will insure that you are fully recouperated and ready to begin the next work interval using proper intensity. below is an example of a HIIT program done based on heart rate using a Schwnn Airdyne Stationary Bike.
Work Interval Rest Interval
30sec 15sec
30sec 20sec
30sec 30sec
30sec 45sec
and so on......
Next time you decide to do cardio try a little HIIT to mix things up it will not only break the minonity of that same old steady state cardion but will also put a torch that excess fat you have been trying to lose.
For more information regarding HIIT click the link.
HIIT is a very popular and very effective training method that is being used in gyms by both normal people and elite athletes across the United States. The reason for the success of HIIT is because it allows you to do cardio for only 20mins at a time with usually only about half of the 20mins actually spent working while still recieving the benefits of a steady-state cardio program that is most practiced in todays gyms. HIIT can be done with a variety of modes anything from jump roping to burpees. The application of HIIT can be done in two basic methods I will explain both. But a basic overview of HIIT is a predetermined total amount of time is selected say 20mins then one decides a work interval length and a rest interval length. Most HIIT programs use a ratio of 2:1 meaning that for every 2mins of work done one would rest for 1min. This allows you to only work about half of the total 20mins, but by working at a higher intensity you burn more calories per pound of bodyweight allowing you to be more efficient as I talked about earlier. Now being that is is High-Intensity Interval Training one has to be willing to give a high level of effort but only for a small amount of time. Intensity can be hard to determine without something to actually gauge your effor with. This is where the two different methods of applying HIIT comes into play.
The first method of doing HIIT training is done by selecting a predetermined work and rest interval length based on a specific ration such as 2:1. The individual then performs these intervals till they have reached there total amount of time. This form is effective and does work, but one can have trouble determining intensity differences between the work and rest intervals. It also leaves no room for fatigue because the deeper you go into the total amount of time the more fatigue you are going to experience after each work interval making the rest interval to short of a time period to be able to recover to go again at a high level of intensity at the nex work interval. But if you are an individual with limited resources this is a great way to use HIIT. Here is an example of a 20min HIIT routine done with a jump rope.
Work Interval Rest Interval
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 30sec
1min 1min
The second method of doing HIIT is a much more accurate form because you can gauge your intensity as well as account for fatigue. In this method one wears a heart rate monitor which we will use to gauge the intensity of the work interval as well as the rest interval. When using this method one will determine their maximum heart rate and will calculate both their 45% MHR and their 65% MHR. Knowing these numbers determine your rest and work intervals. One will select a predetermined amount of total time as before and then also a predetermined length for their work interval which will never change. The individual will then perform one working interval making sure his intensity is great enough to get his heart rate to or above 65% of his MHR this insures he is using enough intensity. After completeing the work interval the individual will then monitor his heart rate until it falls to 45% of his MHR this is the rest interval the time it takes to fall back to 45%. After the heart rate falls one will then begin another work interval. When doing this method you will notice that each rest interval will increase in length of time because of fatigue but this will insure that you are fully recouperated and ready to begin the next work interval using proper intensity. below is an example of a HIIT program done based on heart rate using a Schwnn Airdyne Stationary Bike.
Work Interval Rest Interval
30sec 15sec
30sec 20sec
30sec 30sec
30sec 45sec
and so on......
Next time you decide to do cardio try a little HIIT to mix things up it will not only break the minonity of that same old steady state cardion but will also put a torch that excess fat you have been trying to lose.
For more information regarding HIIT click the link.