2 days agoAuthor: Gaurav Tiwari
- copy link
Egypt’s 26-year-old female fencer Nada Hafez has created history in the Paris Olympics without winning any medal. Her name made headlines. Nada participated in the Olympics while she was 7 months pregnant. The amazing thing happened when she caused an upset by defeating America’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the first match. However, she lost to Korea’s Jeon Heyang in the second match. Even after this, she has set an example for women all over the world.
During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes many mental and physical changes. During this time, a creation is taking place inside her, which will have its own existence on earth after a few days. For this, many hormonal changes take place in the body. Weight increases, body shape changes. In such a situation, doctors advise to take many precautions, so that both the mother and the child remain healthy.
The question is that during pregnancy, when most women are in rest mode, it becomes difficult for them to even walk fast like other people, then how can someone play a game like fencing? What is its effect on health?
Today ‘Health report’ I will know how much physical activity you can do during pregnancy. Also, we will know that-
- In which months of pregnancy can exercising be risky?
- In which conditions should exercise be avoided?
- Apart from this, what kind of precautions are necessary?
Pregnancy is not a disease
According to Dr Poonam Agarwal, Principal Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi, pregnancy is a normal health condition. The idea of considering it a disease should be removed from the mind. We need to understand that the more active and fit women are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for them to cope with their changing shape and increasing weight. It even helps in coping with the pain during delivery.
Exercising every day will lead to normal delivery
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology (ACOG), women who exercise regularly during pregnancy are less likely to have a cesarean delivery. This means that the chances of normal delivery increase.
Apart from this, what other health benefits are there, see in the graphic.
Take inspiration from athletes, do exercise according to your ability
Dr. Poonam says that it is good to take inspiration from athletes, but it is not good to think of exercising like them. The body of athletes is already molded for that agility and speed. They also have support staff and experts.
We should exercise according to our physical capacity and health. Do any physical activity for as long as you feel comfortable in a day.
Physical activities like running, yoga, and dancing are generally most suitable during pregnancy.
You should exercise for 150 minutes a week
Dr. Poonam says that if a pregnant woman is healthy, then she is advised to do 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week like other healthy people. If you exercise 5 days a week, then 30 minutes per day is sufficient. If you have never exercised before, then you can start with 5 or 10 minutes per day and gradually increase it to 30 minutes. Then you can follow this till delivery.
Don’t push yourself too hard to achieve your goal
It is not necessary that everyone has to exercise for 30 minutes. Everyone’s physical health can be different. Our standard for this can be that we will exercise until we start feeling tired. However, as the pregnancy progresses, our ability to do physical activity decreases. Therefore, keep consulting your gynecologist.
A general rule is that a woman should be able to carry on a conversation while exercising during pregnancy. If you are short of breath while talking, it is possible that you are exercising more intensely than you can handle. It should be stopped here.
If a woman is not doing any kind of physical activity before pregnancy, then do not suddenly start very vigorous exercise. For this, one can start with aerobic exercise.
Some important tips for pregnant women before starting exercise
- Always warm up before starting exercise and then cool down. That is, rest for a while after exercising.
- Try to be active every day. If exercising seems difficult, walking for 30 minutes every day may be enough.
- Avoid doing any kind of strenuous exercise during the summer season.
- Drink plenty of water and other fluids before and after exercise.
- If you have joined a gym or training center for exercise, then make sure that your trainer is certified.
- Be sure to inform the trainer that you are pregnant and also tell him how far into your pregnancy you are.
- Avoid any exercise that involves a risk of falling. Activities like horse riding, downhill skiing, hockey, gymnastics should be done very carefully. There is a risk of harm to the baby due to falling in these.
Be careful for the first three months
The first 3 months of pregnancy are very important. If someone is doing high intensity exercise or participating in a very fast sport during this time, it can have an adverse effect on the uterus. There may be a problem of bleeding or miscarriage.
It is important for the pregnant woman’s body temperature to remain normal for the development of the baby in the first trimester. If the body temperature remains more than 102°F for more than 10 minutes, it can lead to the risk of miscarriage. Therefore, you can consult your gynecologist about appropriate exercises according to your local weather and physical health.
