Women endure countless wives' tales throughout their pregnancy. Have heartburn? Your baby is sure to have a full head of hair at birth. Have a high bump? You're clearly carrying a girl.
While most of these are harmless, some of the enduring myths about prenatal exercise are dangerous.
One enduring myth is that pregnancy is not a good time to begin an exercise routine, says Dr. Raul Artal. Artal is lead author of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' guidelines for exercise during pregnancy and a professor and chairman emeritus of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology & Women's Health at St. Louis University School of Medicine.
"Pregnancy is a great time for lifestyle modification," he said. "It's during pregnancy that women have the easiest access to medical care and supervision, more than any other time in life."
This doesn't mean moms-to-be should begin training for a marathon if they've never done so, but women who are overweight or obese at conception can benefit from becoming more active. That makes regular moderate exercise and a healthful diet even more important during the gestational period.
"To not exercise and maintain a healthy diet is dangerous, as a sedentary lifestyle has been shown to be a major contributor to obesity, which leads to other pregnancy-related complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertension and pre-eclampsia," Artal said.
But how do women who weren't active before their pregnancy begin an exercise routine, especially if they experience the common first trimester symptoms of fatigue and nausea? Lanay Mudd, assistant professor in the department of kinesiology at Michigan State University and an American College of Sports Medicine fellow, suggests women transition slowly and focus on making small steps toward healthier habits.
"Start out with 10 minutes a day and gradually add more activity," she said, adding that the academy of obstetricians and gynecologists' guidelines for a minimum of 30 minutes a day on most days is something that can be achieved in short periods of time rather than in larger chunks. "To get 30 minutes a day, you could break that up into three 10-minute walks at work."
Just walk
Artal considers brisk walking a great introductory exercise, especially for women who are reluctant to transition from a sedentary lifestyle after becoming pregnant.
Mudd does recommend, however, that women discuss any concerns with their doctor and ensure that they are cleared for exercise. Any type of contraindication to exercise or warning signs such as vaginal bleeding, dizziness, headache or pain, among others, should be considered.
HEART RATE LIMIT?
One number that some women, and even many clinicians, still focus on is heart rate. It has been suggested that pregnant women should keep their heart rate below 140 beats per minute, but "there's no evidence to suggest that's a valid number," said Mudd, who noted that the number is from the academy's 1985 exercise guidelines, which have long since been revised to reflect new research.
For women who regularly exercised before pregnancy, there's not much that's off-limits, Mudd said. However, women should avoid becoming overheated, especially in the first trimester, as some research suggests overheating has an association with birth defects. To reduce this exposure, she suggests exercising inside during the summer, with a fan when necessary.
Women should also avoid any activity that can cause blunt trauma to the belly, including skiing and playing basketball, and should be aware that their center of gravity shifts in later trimesters and could make balancing a challenge.
As the pregnancy progresses, women should not lie on their back for any length of time. "As the fetus gets bigger, it could cut off blood flow return," Mudd said. This affects any prolonged activity like crunches. For a workaround, she suggests using an incline bench where the body can be propped up.
A fact sheet on the academy's exercise guidelines is available at acog.org by searching for "exercise during pregnancy."
ActiveStyle on 12/08/2014