To Exercise, Or Not to Exercise . . .

Frequently I get the following question from my pregnant patients: “I’ve never really exercised before, but I need to. Is it okay to start now?”

Let’s look at the risks of exercise during pregnancy. “Risks!” you say, “What risks?” Now, before you stop reading this and come to the conclusion that you should not exercise during your pregnancy, I urge you to look at this through my eyes. 

As a physical therapist, I am specially trained in exercise prescription. In other words, I teach people how to exercise. Sometimes that involves rehabilitative exercise in order to heal from an injury or surgery, occasionally it includes performance coaching for seasoned athletes, and sometimes it involves teaching someone who has never exercised before how to start. If you fall into the third category of people, this blog is for you! 

First of all, let me state the few reasons why women would absolutely not be allowed to exercise during a pregnancy. These are set by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. They include: 

  •   Significant heart or lung disease
  •   An incompetent cervix
  •   Multiple gestation at risk for premature labor
  •   Persistent second or third trimester bleeding
  •   Placenta rupture during pregnancy
  •   Ruptured membranes
  •   Preeclampsia

There are also several reasons why pregnant women would have to be closely monitored if exercising during a pregnancy. These include:

  •   Severe anemia
  •   Chronic bronchitis
  •   Poorly controlled type I diabetes
  •   Extreme morbid obesity
  •   History of extremely sedentary lifestyle
  •   A fetus that is not growing as it should
  •   Poorly controlled high blood pressure
  •   Poorly controlled seizure disorder
  •   Poorly controlled hyperthyroidism
  •   Smoking heavily during a pregnancy

Now, you may or may not feel like diving right into an exercise program right now. And if you’re feeling that way, it’s okay. My point here is really to say, if you’ve had an active lifestyle prior to your pregnancy, please continue on.

There are, of course, precautions and no-no’s to adhere to like: no cliff-diving or sporting activity that would put you at risk for sustaining any type of injury or trauma directly to your abdomen. But things like pre-natal yoga and aerobics class, walking and swimming are all really good.

You do need to be mindful of your level of exertion, because you do not want to compete with your baby for oxygen, and you do not want to expose your baby to prolonged thermal stresses (you do not want your baby to get abnormally hot or cold).

My favorite way to have pregnant women monitor themselves for safety is by a simple little test called “the talk test.” The talk test is a measure of the oxygen demands of your heart and lungs as you exercise. It has actually been tested scientifically, and it has been found to be both reliable and valid (medical terms for consistent and correct). The test is performed while you exercise.

All you need to do to complete a talk test is see if you can hold a casual conversation while you are exercising. If you are able to talk and hold a conversation, then you are doing fine. However, if your breathing is too intense, and your heart rate is too rapid, then you would not be able to talk effectively and you are exercising too hard. 

If you have never exercised before, and you want to start now, that’s awesome! Please talk to your doctor first for any safety issues you might need to pay special attention to. Then take a girlfriend with you, get out and exercise and talk away!

Michelle Landsverk is a Doctor of Physical Therapy at PT Center for Women, 3232 Ballard Road, Appleton, WI 54911. To make an appointment with Michelle call or text 920.729.2982.

PT Center for Women is one of the only physical therapy centers in Wisconsin that specializes in pelvic pain and pelvic muscle dysfunction, offering women of all ages comprehensive evaluation and treatment for their physical therapy needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle Landsverk is a Doctor of Physical Therapy at PT Center for Women, 3232 Ballard Road, Appleton, WI 54911. To make an appointment with Michelle call or text 920.729.2982.

PT Center for Women is one of the only physical therapy centers in Wisconsin that specializes in pelvic pain and pelvic muscle dysfunction, offering women of all ages comprehensive evaluation and treatment for their physical therapy needs.

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