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 highly advisable to maintain a healthy work-out routine all throughout pregnancy, but it is important to adjust your regular routine to how far along you are. During your first and second trimesters, we recommend having short, 30-minute work-out sessions three or four days a week. By the third trimester, however, try to limit your routine to 20-minute sessions so as to accommodate for the extra weight you gained.

Types of Exercises: While cardio exercises can be beneficial, we recommend exercises that keep your heart rate controlled. It is good to break out sweat, but do not allow your heart rate to exceed 145 bpm. Exercises such as squats and lunges (without weights) are highly recommended, as well as swimming and brisk-walking. Swimming is particularly rewarding during your final trimester, as the water supports your body and relieves muscle tension. Cycling and gentle aerobics are also highly recommended. Carry out many short stretches before and after each work-out to stimulate the flood flow and improve the flexibility of your joints and muscles.

Movements/Exercises to Avoid: Avoid high-impact and contact sports, which range from football to squash. When stretching, do not hold a stretch for longer than 5-6 seconds. Because pregnant bodies are more vulnerable to stresses and strains, prolonged stretches causes a release of the ‘relaxing’ hormone that (while it is necessary for giving birth) is damaging to the areas around the joints. Also, abstain from carrying heavy objects so that you avoid overexerting 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.

See an Osteopath: In order to keep a close eye on the rapid changes your body is undergoing, it is advisable to see an osteopath early on in the first trimester. This way, if your body is not responding to exercises as it should, we can step in and help you change your routine before you damage your body.

It is never easy being pregnant, what with weight gain, back aches, raging hormones, and sheer exhaustion. But hopefully, with the help of an osteopath and the techniques above, your passage from pregnant woman to loving mother will not only be bearable, but enjoyable.

Related posts:

1. Losing Pregnancy Weight – 5 Important Do's and Dont's
2. Prenatal Vitamins – Do You Really Need Them?
3. Easy Exercises For Arthritis Sufferers
4. Losing Weight After Pregnancy, The Best Diet