At ReLiva, we are geared to help women stay fit and healthy during pregnancy as well as after child-birth. Research studies acknowledge these goals as not only medically sound, but beneficial for both the expecting mother and her growing baby. Various studies have shown that fit moms have better control over weight gain, easier labor, healthier babies and they get back in shape faster after childbirth than do sedentary women.
Read more about the benefits of exercise during pregnancy by clicking here.
This post for first published on FabMoms, a dedicated wellness program for expecting and New mothers.
Make Knowledge your Power
Your body will undergo numerous changes during pregnancy and postpartum period, some of them may even cause concern. We all know that a mother’s mental state influences the health of her baby- therefore it is crucial for her to maintain a calm, positive state of mind during pregnancy. If you are aware of what to expect and are knowledgeable with reasonable certainty how to manage these changes – it can give you invaluable peace of mind. It also enables you to safely engage in activities that enhance your own health as well as that of your baby.
Change is the Buzzword : All your Bodily systems are affected too
During pregnancy, body begins to produce special hormones that stimulate physical changes in almost every part of your body. Knowledge about these biomechanical changes in your Metabolism, Cardiovascular exercise and Musculoskeletal systems is your best friend in your mission to have the healthiest pregnancy possible.
The Cardiovascular System: Changes due to Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the woman’s cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) expands to support the needs of the growing fetus . These changes include:
- Increase in your Blood volume , the amount of blood circulating through your body, by 40% to 50%.
- Rise in your resting heart rate by about 15 to 20 beats per minute (BPM) by the third trimester
- Increase in the amount of blood pumped per minute
- Increase in the amount of oxygenated blood pumped in one heartbeat
- Rise in the amount of air you take in per breath
- Dilated and relaxed blood vessels, which decreases resting blood pressure, and helps in circulation
Metabolism: Changes due to Pregnancy
What Pregnancy Does to Your metabolism in most basic terms:
- Boost in basal metabolism
- Slight rise in your core temperature
- Slightl increase in your insulin levels
- Elevated daily caloric needs by second trimester
- Increase in your protein and fluid requirements
The Musculoskeletal changes: Changes due to Pregnancy
To adjust and balance your growing belly, the spine re-aligns itself and as a result the center of gravity of the body shifts. This causes increase in pressure on your spine during pregnancy and continues to increase as the pregnancy advances. No wonder, most pregnant women complain of back pain by the time they enter third trimester.
As pregnancy advances, the ribcage also expands dramatically, providing needed additional space for the lungs as the Uterus expands and fills the abdominal cavity.
To compensate for these postural deviations, specific muscle groups must work harder to support the body in the upright position. Over time, these muscles shorten. The opposing muscle groups need to work less to support the body, and weaken over time. As the belly expands, the postural deviations worsen, which in turn, further aggravates muscular imbalances.
However, you can prevent or lessen most of these conditions with a prenatal exercise program that focuses on counterbalancing these effects by:
- Stretching muscle groups that tend to over-tighten
- Strengthening muscle groups that tend to weaken
- Choosing core strength and stability exercises that incorporate the Neutral spine position
Several medical conditions are therefore caused at different stage of pregnancy and post-partum due to muscles getting affected in different sections of the body. You may read more about Diastasis Recti, SGP, PGP and or sacro-iliac pain by clicking here.
We encourage you to consult sections of www.fabmoms.in for further details on how to protect your body, and how to optimize your physical fitness during and after pregnancy.
Related Reading
Benefits of Exercise during Pregnancy
Posture in Pregnancy: Do’s & Don’ts
Pregnancy related Common Aches & Pains
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