Exercise During Pregnancy Recommended
There was a time when pregnant women were not expected to lift a finger in their 'delicate' state, much less exercise.
Today, the same exercise recommendations that apply to most of the population - 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise on most if not all days of the week - also apply to pregnant women, if they are in relatively good health and their physicians approve.
"It's good for pregnant women to exercise if they would like to do so," says Dr. Richard P. Frieder, a clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an obstetrician-gynecologist at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center.
"Generally women feel better and are fitter if they exercise during pregnancy," Dr. Frieder adds.
But he cautions that pregnant women should mot expect miracles from exercise: "It doesn't make labor any easier," he adds. "That's a marketing myth that sells exercise classes."
Physical activity during pregnancy does have benefits, however. It may help with weight control, allowing the mom-to-be to avoid too much weight gain during pregnancy.
And a regular workout may help a woman avoid pregnancy-related health risks, says pregnancy expert Michelle Williams of the University of Washington, Seattle.
In her research, Williams has found that physical activity during pregnancy reduced the risk of gestational diabetes by half, and the risk of pre-eclampsia - a potentially dangerous condition marked by high blood pressure and other problems - by 35 percent.
"The most common exercises were walking and jogging and aerobics," she says. "Even stair-climbing as part of a daily active lifestyle was associated with reduced risk of pre-eclampsia.
"On the basis of our data, we can say that any activity is better than no activity," she notes. "Much more research is needed to determine the optimal 'dose' amount, frequency, and type of activity that is associated with the best pregnancy outcomes."
Another study by researchers at the University of North Texas found that Cesarean delivery was 4.5 times more likely for sedentary women than for active women. The researchers compared 93 non-exercising women with 44 active women.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued revised recommendations for exercise during pregnancy. The guidelines say that while participation in a wide range of activities appears to be safe, each activity should be reviewed by a woman's physician for potential risk.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the most comfortable exercises during pregnancy are those that do not require a woman to bear extra weight, such as swimming and stationary cycling. Walking and low-impact aerobics are other good choices. Women should consult with their physician about the best exercise.
If a woman did not exercise before pregnancy, the advice to get individual instruction about exercise is especially crucial.
As the pregnancy progresses, "listen to your body," Dr. Frieder tells his patients. "Make allowances for tiredness. Don't exercise at the level you are used to if you are too tired."
Be sure your heart rate is lower than 140 beats per minutes, he says. And drink plenty of fluids before and after your workout.
Avoid exercise on extremely hot or humid days. And stop a workout if you have pain, bleeding, or faintness or other symptoms - and call your physician.
Also, be aware that your center of gravity is lower during pregnancy and that may affect your ability to do exercises that seemed easy before. And your ligaments and joints are looser and more flexible when pregnant, so you are more likely to get sprains and strains, he says.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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The ancient practice of yoga may do more than just improve strength and flexibility - it could also help persons shed extra pounds in middle age, according to new research in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.
Investigators report that overweight 45- to 55-year-olds who regularly practiced yoga lost five pounds on average over the course of a decade.
At the same time, normal-weight yoga practitioners gained three fewer pounds than those who did not practice yoga during this same 10-year period.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, is the first to examine yoga's impact on weight loss.
"I was very surprised with the results," says lead researcher Alan R. Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Research Program at the Hutchinson Center and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington.
"Considering that persons gain about a pound a year during this time, this is pretty substantial," he says.
"Even the best dietary and behavioral approaches to weight loss are not all that effective," he notes. "Now, with yoga, we have one more tool that may help with weight loss."
With 30 percent of American adults obese and almost 65 percent of them overweight, looking to old techniques for new solutions to weight management makes sense.
To examine the relationship between weight loss and yoga, the study surveyed 15,500 healthy men and women aged 53 to 57. Participants were queried on their weight history and physical activity (including yoga), among other things, beginning at age 45.
Just 132 of the people surveyed said they practiced yoga regularly for at least four years. However, overweight yoga practitioners lost about 5 pounds on average during the 10-year period, while those who did not practice yoga gained an average of 13.5 pounds.
Persons who were normal-weight and regularly practiced yoga gained three fewer pounds during this period of life than those who did not do yoga (9.5 pounds compared to 12.6 pounds).
Dr. Kristal says he is not certain how yoga helps promote weight loss and maintenance, particularly since only vigorous yoga would burn enough energy to meet the American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines for weight management.
However, he speculates that yoga could be indirectly beneficial by encouraging healthier eating and exercise habits. For example, since yoga teaches body awareness and encourages physical discipline, it helps a person know when he or she is full and promotes a general sense of well-being, he says.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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