Exercise Leadership Presentation

Pregnancy and
Exercise
Sydney Kanuch
Brianna Jones
Landon Sponseller
What is Pregnancy?
❏ Pregnancy means “a woman having a child or young developing in the uterus”
❏ The condition alters a woman's physiology, anatomy, kinesiology, and biomechanics
❏ Exercising while pregnant can benefit both the mother and baby
❏ Could reduce the risk of pregnancy related conditions

Key terms
Post partum: of or noting the period of time following childbirth; after delivery.
Aerobics: any of various sustained exercises, as jogging, rowing, swimming, or cycling, that stimulate and strengthen the heart
and lungs, thereby improving the body's utilization of oxygen.
Pilates: a system of physical conditioning involving low-impact exercises and stretches designed to strengthen muscles of the
torso and often performed with specialized equipment.
Tidal volume: amount of air passing into and out of the lungs during normal breathing
Average pregnancy heart rate: The normal heart rate in a non-pregnant woman is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. But, during
pregnancy, the heart rate increases an average of 15 to 20 beats per minute.
Average pregnancy blood pressure: less than 120/80 mm Hg, same as typical human
Which Exercises are “Best”? & Why?
❏ Swimming/Water Aerobics - exercises in water are easier on the joints (knees, ankles, hips, etc)
❏ This also helps to relieve lower back pain
❏ Low risk of falling
❏ Walking - not only does this boost mood and energy levels, it also helps to keep muscles strong and reduce the risk
of unplanned cesarean sections
❏ Longer duration keeps hr up for longer periods of time, strengthening heart
❏ Indoor Cycling - cycling on a stationary bike puts less pressure on the lower joints
❏ Stationary cycling reduces chances of falling
❏ Low Impact Pilates/Aerobics - this keeps the body moving, as well as improving sleep and overall mental health
Which Exercises to Avoid? & Why?
❏ Anything that puts pressure or compresses the abdomen - sit ups, crunches, planks, straight leg toe touches, etc
❏ Exercise that include lying flat on your back - this causes blood vessels to constrict, leading to less blood
circulation to the baby
❏ Also causes nausea and dizziness
❏ Exercises that have an increased risk of falling - outdoor cycling, contact sports, gymnastics,
What Happens During Exercise While Pregnant?
Goals & Objectives
❏ Improve discomfort (back pain, fatigue, sore feet, etc)
❏ Prevent postpartum conditions (gestational diabetes, postpartum depression)
❏ Relieve stress and boost overall mood and energy
❏ Build stamina and improve muscle strength (will help in labor/delivery)

Recommended Warm Up
❏ Prior to stretching perform 3-5 mins of activity such as walking
Stretches examples:
Dynamic is moving and static is still
❏ Runner’s stretch: Place your hands against the wall about shoulder width apart. Keep your elbows
straight. Place your left foot is about 18 inches from the wall with knee bent and right leg extended
back with the knee straight. Lean forward for a great calf stretch. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same
with the right foot forward and left leg back. Repeat again on each side.
❏ Butterfly stretch: Sit on the floor with the heels of your feet together and knees down towards the
floor. Hold for 30 seconds.
❏ Wrist and ankle rotations: Extend your right arm and left leg and rotate your right wrist and left ankle
for 10 seconds to increase circulation. Repeat with left arm and right leg.
❏ Following stretches allow a rest/recovery period and drink water
Recommended Workout
❏ 2 ½ hours of moderate intensity aerobic (oxygen/cardio based) moderate
intensity each week, enough to produce a sweat and increased heart rate
❏ A brisk walk 30 minutes a day or 3 ten minute intervals a day
❏ Swimming/water aerobics
❏ Riding a stationary bike for less chance of a fall
❏ Pregnancy specific yoga/pilates
❏ Low impact strength training
Recommended Cool Down
❏ Walk around until heart rate decreases to baseline
❏ Use the warmed up muscles to work on static flexibility
❏ Drink 8oz of water for every 15 mins of exercise~hydration is more important due to
remember relaxin hormone and not to over do it
❏ posture can change causing tightness in the neck and lower back
Examples:
Yoga ball back stretch (in class ex) sitting neck stretch (Sitting in a chair, close your eyes and
breathe deeply. Gently tilt your head to one side and let it drop toward your shoulder. Don't
raise your shoulder, and don't force your head down.) , heavenly stretch (kneeling chest
stretch, praying position with extending arms and chest pointing to sky)
PARmed-X for Pregnancy
❏ Specialized checklist used by healthcare providers
❏ Evaluates pregnant women who want to start exercising or join a fitness

program
❏ Another way of “medical surveillance” in order to be sure the patient is ready

for exercise
PARmed-X Continued
Signs & Symptoms
Pregnancy Labor
❏ Mild cramping ❏ CONTRACTIONS
❏ “Spotting” ❏ Stomach/Lower Back Pain
❏ Fatigue ❏ Bleeding
❏ Nausea ❏ Fluid Discharge
❏ Bloating ❏ Headache
❏ Frequent Urination ❏ Chest Pain
❏ Motion Sickness ❏ Dizziness
❏ Mood Swings ❏ Swelling (Calves/Ankles)
❏ Drastic Temperature Changes
**If labor symptoms occur, IMMEDIATELY
stop the exercise!!**
Monitoring Heart Rate
❏ It is not a good idea to use an actual monitor to track the heart rate of a
pregnant participant. It is important to note that a woman’s heart rate is already
increased “at rest” when pregnant, let alone when working out.
❏ Instead, the “Talk Test” would be a better option
❏ Talk Test: basically talking to the participant, asking them how they are feeling
during certain parts of the workout. It measures how exerted the participant is.
If they are able to have a full conversation answering these questions, they are
not overly fatigued and should be fine to continue the workout.
Postpartum Pregnancy
❏ Can be a very vulnerable time
❏ BE SUPPORTIVE & ENCOURAGING...it’s your #1 job!!!
❏ It is not a good idea to jump right into exercise after delivery!
❏ Typically, exercise can resume GRADUALLY after 6 to 8 weeks (depending on
the type of delivery)
❏ It actually takes 10 months to have a child, so it will take at least 10 months to
get back to some type of “normal” levels
❏ Some clients may not ever get back to their “normal”...remind them that is okay!
Personal Experiences
❏ A source was willing to share her experience with exercising during and after pregnancy
❏ She was able to workout throughout her pregnancy because she was low risk
❏ Since she had a c-section, it was important to take it slow when exercising postpartum
❏ Took about 7 weeks to get back into the habit of exercising
❏ She says she was pretty much back to normal about 2 months postpartum
Class Question
What is one exercise to AVOID while pregnant?

Works Cited
● https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/multimedia/pregnancy-exercises/sls-20076779
● Chapter 8 PowerPoint Notes
● https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/physical-activity/par-q-and-eparmed-x
● https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/early-symptoms-timeline#pregnancy-symptoms
● https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/contractions-and-signs-of-labor.aspx
● https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/exercise-during-pregnancy.aspx
● https://www.annandaleobgyn.com/news/the-benefits-of-walking-during-pregnancy/
● https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/cycling-while-pregnant
● https://www.oviahealth.com/guide/103452/pregnancy-low-impact-exercise/#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20exercise%20during
%20pregnancy&text=Additionally%2C%20it%20can%20reduce%20stress,feel%20happier%20by%20releasing%20endorphi
ns.
● https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/exercise-safety
● Dictionary.com
● Cecily’s personal story

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Pregnancy and

❏ The condition alters a woman's physiology, anatomy, kinesiology, and biomechanics

❏ Could reduce the risk of pregnancy related conditions

❏ Prevent postpartum conditions (gestational diabetes, postpartum depression)

❏ Relieve stress and boost overall mood and energy

❏ Build stamina and improve muscle strength (will help in labor/delivery)

❏ Evaluates pregnant women who want to start exercising or join a ﬁtness

❏ Another way of “medical surveillance” in order to be sure the patient is ready

What is one exercise to AVOID while pregnant?

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