Why pregnant women need their workouts

When the pregnancy test comes back positive, does that mean working out is now a no-no?

The Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 30 minutes of moderate activity a day for everyone, Geria said, including pregnant women.

If a women finds out she's pregnant and she doesn't have a regular exercise routine, Geria said, it doesn't mean she can't start one.

The first step is for her to talk with her doctor, who can spell out any cautionary limits. Those limitations would likely be the same if she were pregnant or not, he said.

"It will help your body prepare for birth," Geria said. "Having a vaginal delivery is a lot of physical activity, certainly any type of aerobic exercise will help you prepare."

For some women, labor is quick and not very strenuous.

For other women, the physical toll could be compared to competing in an iron man competition, he said.

"Certainly being physically fit ahead of time would greatly assist in that physical feat," he said.

There aren't any "best exercises" for a pregnant woman. Aerobic exercise in general is beneficial, Geria said. Pregnant women should not participate in contact sports or any other physical activities in which there is a risk of abdominal injury.

"After the first trimester is over, you should avoid any physical activities where you are lying flat on your back more than five minutes," he said. Doing so can have an effect on a pregnant woman's cardiovascular system, and that is not beneficial to the woman or the baby.

Pregnant women should also refrain from strenuous exercise if they have heart or lung disease, problems with premature labor and delivery, multiple gestations or vaginal bleeding.

And pregnant women should never scuba dive because it can create conditions that cause air bubbles in a baby's blood stream, Geria said.

Being fit benefits the baby, he said.

"If you're more physically fit, the 'incubator' is more physically fit so there is a benefit to the child in the incubator," Geria said. "Women who are physically fit oxygenate their blood better, their heart is more efficient -- their body is more efficient."

How much is too much?

"If it hurts, don't do it," he said. "If you're tired, you stop."

And stay hydrated.

"The bottom line: exercise makes people healthier, whether you're pregnant or not," he said.

SOURCE: thedailyjournal