Staying fit while packing for two

Eating for two may be a nice perk, but staying fit for two is just another part of the job of being a new mother.

Dr. Jeanne Falk, obstetrician/gynecologist at the Logan Budge Clinic, located at 1350 N. 500 East, said maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important before, during and after pregnancy. One misunderstanding many women have about pregnancy is that the baby needs a lot of constant care, Falk said, but the baby tends to take care of itself. It’s the mother that needs to take special care of her health, she said.

“Babies are like parasites,” Falk said. “They take what they need from the mother, and she needs make sure she is getting enough for herself.”

Falk said pregnant women should not feel like they have to make drastic changes to their exercise regiment. Rather, women should stick to the exercise programs they were engaged in before becoming pregnant. Falk said one of her patients is on the track team and is still able to run.

“Use the same guidelines as if you weren’t pregnant,” Falk said. “Exercising a minimum of three times a week for 30 minutes is better for overall fitness.”

Ashley Clawson, who is 32 weeks pregnant, said when she became pregnant, she had some concerns about an exercise program. She said her doctor told her to continue to exercise but not overdue it.

“(Doctors) recommend that you don’t start a rigorous exercises program when pregnant,” Clawson said. “If you are pretty fit, they say you can kind of keep going, slowly decreasing. If you feel tired (while exercising), take a break. If you feel thirsty, take a drink.”

Clawson said early in her pregnancy it was difficult to motivate herself to exercise because she was so ill with morning sickness.

“I had so much morning sickness, the most exercise I got was from the couch to the bathroom,” she said. “I used to try walking, but it just about killed me over.”

Weeks later, she said exercising can still be a challenge.

“Going to the gym, half the battle is getting my butt in the car and actually get to the gym,” she said.

While it may be difficult to get out and exercise, Falk said there are many standard physical activities that women can still do during pregnancy that aren’t too trying.

Falk said some good activities include swimming, low-impact activities like yoga and biking, which can be especially beneficial late in the pregnancy because “it is not hard on the tummy.”

“Listen to your body,” Falk said. “If you are winded, then your baby is winded too. You should never get out of breath. Stop if you feel pain or heavy contractions. If you don’t feel like exercising, don’t.”

While many exercises are beneficial, Falk said there are some that should be avoided. Activities that bare the risk of falling or that require balance should not be attempted, she said. Laying flat on the back, doing abdominal exercises like sit-ups or crunches is highly discouraged, Falk said.

Some of the most prohibited activities include downhill skiing, contact sports like hockey and soccer, and scuba diving, Falk said.

According to a brochure produced by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Exercise During Pregnancy,” there are plenty of fitness options available to pregnant women that are good for their health, including walking, running, strength training and aerobics. The brochure states, “Aerobics is a good way to keep your heart and lungs strong,” which is important to supplying the mother and baby with the energy she needs.

Exercise increases the oxygen and blood flow to the muscle groups that are being worked and away from the baby, so mothers should be careful about overdoing it, the brochure states.

“Some sources will tell you that you shouldn’t get you heart rate up above a certain number. I don’t follow that, because if you weren’t in very good shape before you were pregnant, your resting heart rate might be close to that already,” Falk said. “Don’t ever work out harder than you can maintain a conversation. You need to be able to chit chat while you are exercising.”

Falk said women need to listen to their bodies to know when to stop, especially when it comes to small pains that could be easily shrugged off. The uterus, for instance, is a muscle and contracts with the other muscles during fitness activities, Falk said. Small contractions are fine, but if the contractions start to hurt, the mother needs to stop, she said.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said some of the warning signs of overexercising include vaginal bleeding, dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches and decreased fetal movement.

Even with some of the dangers involved in exercising, Falk said exercising is important to avoiding pregnancy problems. She said women should be exercising before becoming pregnant as well, as obesity can cause complications during pregnancy that are hazardous to mother and baby alike.

“There are lots of pregnancy complications that are coming about because of obesity,” she said. “If we had a more fit population, we would have a more fit pregnancy population.”

-debrajoy.h@aggiemail.usu.edu