An Osteopath’s Guide to Feeling Great During Pregnancy
As any mother will admit, pregnancy places tremendous strain on the body. On average, women gain around 30 pounds during pregnancy, resulting in a big postural change. It can be incredibly laborious to carry all that extra weight around, not to mention extremely exhausting for the body. Some of our leading osteopaths have offered some tips and exercises that you can do, even before going into labour, in order to assuage the physical burdens of pregnancy.
Work-out sessions: It is great to have a regular work-out routine when you are pregnant, but it is important that you adjust your routine accordingly depending on how much your body can take during pregnancy. We recommend doing three or four work-out sessions a week of approximately 30-minutes each during your first and second trimesters. When it comes to your third trimester, shorten your routine by 10 minutes so as to accommodate your heavier belly.
Types of Exercises: While cardio exercises are often very good, during pregnancy we advise you to stick to activities that control your heart-rate to 145 bpm - while still allowing you to break out it sweat. Squats and lunges (without weights) are excellent for doing this, as are swimming and brisk-walking. Swimming is especially helpful during your last trimester, because the water supports your weight nicely, which takes the pressure off your exhausted muscles. Activities such as gentle aerobics and cycling are also highly recommended. Also be sure to do very short stretches before and after each work-out to get the flood flowing through your joints and muscles.
Movements/Exercises to Avoid: Refrain from doing high-impact and contact sports, such as squash and football. It is also important to never hold a stretch position for longer than six seconds - pregnant bodies release the ‘relaxing’ hormone (which is necessary for labour) prematurely if a stretch is held for too long, which is potentially damaging to the joint areas. Also avoid lifting heavy object during pregnancy - do not overexert yourself.
Dietary tips: Having a balanced diet is essential for your own, and your baby’s well-being. Just because you need to feed two people does not mean you eat twice as much as usual. A pregnant body only needs approximately 2500 calories a day. Make sure you eat something from all food groups everyday so as to get the proper energy and nutrition: dairy products (milk, eggs), protein (meat, fish, and poultry), whole wheat, and fruits and vegetables.
Visit an Osteopath: In order to keep a close watch on the changes your body is going through, start seeing an osteopathic doctor early on in the first trimester. This way, if you are doing your exercises incorrectly, or if certain muscles are under too much strain, we can step in sooner than later.
With backaches, mood swings, and exhaustion threatening to overwhelm you, pregnancy is no easy process. However, with the help of an osteopath and the techniques above, hopefully your passage from pregnant woman to loving mother will not only be bearable, but enjoyable.