When deciding to continue training during pregnancy, there are a few basic things to keep in mind. The most important of these is your general well-being, as well as consultation with your healthcare provider.
Running is an activity that is recommended primarily for women who trained long before pregnancy. If you began your running training within a few months or weeks before the start of your pregnancy, it is worth replacing running with walking. This solution is safer for the health of both mother and baby.
More experienced runners know their bodies, how to adapt their abilities to light running training, and running is the most natural physical activity for them. Pregnancy does not have to disrupt this process. The basic prerequisite for continuing training is a significant reduction in the frequency and length of exercise, consultation with your pregnancy doctor, general well-being, and normal fetal development.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, the most changes occur in a woman’s hormonal system, so running during this period should take the form of recreation. During this time, 90% of miscarriages occur, so the additional strain on the body can have a negative impact on the health of the pregnant woman.
Specialists emphasize that special care should be taken between 8 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 3 months, the formed placenta is already functioning, and the hormonal economy stabilizes significantly. From this point on, you can take up more regular workouts. In the second trimester, the body begins to prepare for the increased effort of childbirth. Blood volume increases, blood pressure decreases, the respiratory capacity of the lungs changes and the stroke volume of the heart increases. Such changes are better tolerated by women who are physically active, so running will not be such a burden for them, but only an element that will help in the proper course of these changes.
Physical activity during pregnancy is a good way to prepare the body for childbirth. First of all, the whole body changes during this time, as well as the functioning of the body. The additional stimulus of exercise can facilitate the process of natural childbirth, as well as speed up the recovery time afterwards. However, the load should be significantly reduced, and the final decision on the possibility of introducing regular training should be made after prenatal tests and consultation with the doctor. It is also worth noting that running is not harmful to the baby, because the uterus and amniotic fluid absorb any shocks caused by the movement. It is also important when running during pregnancy to stay hydrated and increase the calorie intake in meals, as exercise generates additional energy requirements, especially in pregnant women.
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