Expecting & exercising?

SWEAT IT OUT

There is no time like the present to get started on a workout regime, especially if you are pregnant, advises Dr Gladson Johnson

Pregnancy is an event in a woman’s life that comes wrapped in joy and excitement. Which is why it is all the more important to stay healthy during the nine months. Recent research shows a drastic increase in pregnancy-induced hypertension and diabetes in young mothers. So what could have caused a major lag in health between generations of women? Has this made current expectant mothers to rely on exercise as a way to endure, sustain and stay healthy during pregnancy?  Exercising is one known way of preventing pregnancy-related complications and to stay healthy through pregnancy.

Exercising during pregnancy, in any form, is widely recommended and advocated by all health care professionals. A guided and well-structured workout programme sets the tone for good, low-back strength, eliminating lower back ache, inducing quality sleep, enhancing digestion, increasing muscle flexibility and reducing night cramps. Structured breathing exercises help to reduce breathlessness, and resistance training builds strength and helps to endure labour pain.

Baseline activities should involve at least walking and climbing stairs. This not only reduces the swelling in legs but also assists in pelvic opening during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This may ease labour pain to a great extent too. A well-tailored exercise should be practised under the guidance of an expert physiotherapist. A good fitness regime during pregnancy should include flexibility exercises, strength exercises, endurance building and breathing techniques as a wholesome approach.
So start exercising now because exercise is a medicine and exercising is an attitude.  

(The author is a sports physiotherapist in Bangalore.)