Exercising Through Your PregnancyExercise is good for pregnant women! In addition to the regular benefits of exercise, pregnant women who exercise are likely to return to their pre-pregnancy shapes sooner, feel increased energy, and fend of stress more readily. According to James F. Clapp, M.D., author of Exercising Through Your Pregnancy women can exercise before, during, after their pregnancies. "Some women fear that exercise will increase the risk of miscarriage, malformations, pre-term labor, brain damage to the baby, or material injury, but this is not the case.” However, according to Dr. Clapp’s research, women who exercise feel better, perform better, and have babies that are be stronger physiologically and perhaps better developed neurologically.” Among the questions he answers: How does exercise benefit the mother? How does exercise affect growth of the fetus? What is the effect of exercise on milk production? Does exercise limit weight gain during pregnancy? What is the right amount of exercise? What are the dos and don’ts of exercising when pregnant? When should exercise be avoided? How late into pregnancy can you exercise? What should be the exercise regimen after giving birth? Dr. Clapp provides guidelines for exercise plans that safely fulfill a mother’s needs during different phases of pregnancy. Common Myths About Exercising and Pregnancy 1. Pregnant women should keep their heart rates under 140 beats per minute. 2. Exercise during lactation makes the milk taste sour. 3. Women should avoid abdominal exercises in mid and late pregnancy. 4. Pregnant women should not lift weights. 5. The bouncing and jarring which occur during running and high-impact aerobics increase the risk for the baby getting tangled up in the umbilical cord. 6. Exercise causes premature labor. 7. Exercise will cause the fetus to detach from the wall of the womb. 8. Exercise right after a pregnancy will cause hernias and loss of vaginal and pelvic support. |
Contents
Clarifying the Debate Over Exercise | 3 |
Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy | 17 |
Exercise Fertility and Early Pregnancy | 47 |
Copyright | |
9 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abdominal aerobic exercise baby's heart rate beats per minute blood flow blood volume breast milk breast-fed breast-feeding caloric restriction changes chapter cise Clapp competitive athlete continue to exercise continuing regular cross-country ski decrease delivery develop early pregnancy effects of exercise evaluation exer exercise and pregnancy exercise during pregnancy exercise performance exercise prescription exercise program exercise regimen exercise regularly exercise throughout pregnancy exercising women fatigue feel fetal heart rate fetus function health care providers health fitness heart rate response hormonal improve increase intensity lactation late pregnancy lifestyle menstrual menstrual cycle metabolic midpregnancy monitoring muscle nancy normal overtraining ovulation oxygen perceived exertion percent phases physi physically active controls physiological placenta preg pregnancy and lactation premature birth premature labor prepregnancy problem regular exercise reproductive process response to exercise stop exercising studies temperature tion type of exercise usually week weight gain weight-bearing exercise womb women who continue women who exercise workout