Pregnancy and Exercise

Have you heard of the news on the woman who gave birth after running a marathon?
Yes my sisters, she finished the whole 42 kilometer stretch and still managed to eat dinner with her husband before she felt the actual signs of giving birth.
When I heard about this, I was amazed!

Taking a trip down memory lane, I remember continuing my running even up until the second trimester at 7 months. I could still bike around our subdivision back then until I get to be 6 months, but after that, the balance is kinda off so I opted to wait till I gave birth -- but actually doing it until 9 months.. I was surprised that the doctor actually allowed her - well, maybe she is that fit to go through 42 kilometers of running, both physically and mentally. KUDOS to her.

taken from the net

It occurred to me that there are many women out there has this idea that one should be extra careful when pregnant but unless the doctor says that you are at risk (threatened miscarriage, low lying-placenta, previous medical conditions), pregnancy is a phase that one goes through in life that one has to prepare of. Pregnancy is not an excuse to stop being active (unless your doctor requires you have bedrest, then you have to follow doctor's advise).

Come to think of it, it is common knowledge that exercise promotes muscle tone, strength, and endurance. If one continues a routine while pregnant, it can help you carry the weight you gain during pregnancy, prepares the you for the physical stress of labor, and make it easier to get back into shape after the baby is born.

I am a mother of four lovely girls and I know that being active during one's pregnancy can also reduce the physical discomforts of backache, swelling, and fatigue thus improving your mood and self-image and make you feel "sexy" despite the bulge!

As per the Pregnancy Exercise Guide:

taken from the net

"According to a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, healthy, well-conditioned women who exercised before pregnancy may continue to do so throughout pregnancy without compromising their baby's health or development. Researchers from the University of Oslo, Norway, studied 42 pregnant women who exercised six times per week at either a high or medium intensity. When the researchers compared the women's length of labor, maternal weight gain, and the baby's birth weight, they found no differences between the two groups of exercisers"

Just remember to let your doctor know you plan to continue your workout routine.

However, this is the time for you to listen to your body and stop exercising if you feel if you've done too much. Because you'll have less oxygen available for aerobic exercise, you should generally stick to 60 per cent of your maximum heart rate while pregnant. A good rule of thumb is to slow down if you can't comfortably carry on a conversation while exercising.

Congratulations to all "Moms-to-be"!


"Making the decision to have a child-it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
--Elizabeth Stone