Exercise in pregnancy

Exercise in pregnancyIn the same way that in other vital moments the practice of physical activity offers infinite benefits to those who perform it, in the case of the pregnant woman the same thing happens but at other levels.

• Less than half of pregnant women follow the recommendations regarding healthy habits, among which exercise should be a basic.
• Improved aerobic condition, weight control, prevention of gestational diabetes and… are some of the benefits it provides.
• A pregnant woman's exercise routine should include aerobic, strength, and flexibility activity.

Benefits on many levels

Throughout the nine months of pregnancy, you suffer a series of physical and mental problems that you have to adapt to. Many of them are obvious but there are those that happen "Inside" and, when exercising, the list of benefits affects all levels.

At what levels does exercise affect pregnancy?

• Improved aerobic fitness: during pregnancy, cardiac output and oxygen consumption increase. With exercise, it can be brought under control.
• Prevents gestational diabetes: this pathology does not always appear but it is more common than would be desirable. With the practice of physical activity, glucose levels are reduced in the blood and, in addition, the use of insulin is improved.
• Lumbar pathology: low back pain is the most repeated complaint in health surveys completed by pregnant women throughout their gestation. The muscles must support a significant increase in weight and when a suitable training routine is followed, it can respond better to the load and minimize discomfort. In addition, it greatly increases the lordosis of the spine, that is, the curvature. Any work that can be done to help compensate will be beneficial.
• Weight control: During pregnancy, weight gain is implicit. If at any other time exercise is one of the most recommended tools used by everyone to control or lose weight, the same happens in this situation when it is necessary to control it.
• Improves the self-esteem of the future mother: some of the pregnant women may feel anxious and even when changing habits feel "out of place." Having time for yourself and dedicating yourself a space to take care of yourself and feel better is a benefit that has many positive effects for the future mother.

It seems that these and more positive effects should "force" all pregnant women to "put on sneakers or put on a bathing suit" but it is not always easy to adapt to new circumstances. Many times, this adaptation is more complex, due to the lack of information and ignorance. This factor is one of those used in some of the studies published to date, in which the practice of physical activity by the group of pregnant women is valued. The figures are conclusive: only between 15-32% of pregnant women follow the authorities' recommendations regarding healthy habits.

Nowadays, more and more centers and trainers offer personalized and appropriate training for each trimester, since not everything goes and the training program must be adjusted to the maximum. Depending on the state of health and previous medical evaluation, it should include aerobic, strength and flexibility exercises. These three types of training offer a global concept that will help women to face the postpartum and postpartum period, with better health guarantees.