Preparing for a baby is an exciting time, but it’s important to remember that pregnancy can be physically demanding on your body. According to recent studies, pregnancy can be as tough as running a marathon. So, it’s crucial to know how to prepare your body for a baby to ensure a healthy and successful pregnancy.
Anybody who has ever been pregnant will attest that these nine months are physically taxing. But, science continues to prove precisely how much. A June 2019 study from Duke University, published in Science Advances, examined the impact of arduous races (such as the Ironman and Tour de France) on professional athletes and determined that pregnancy is comparable to competing in these races.
It makes sense, says Academy Sports + Outdoors partner Bess Carter, NASM-CPT. “Pregnancy is the peak of physical intensity that the human body can endure,” says Carter, who did not participate in the study.
In addition, these nine months are distinguished by significant and strenuous bodily changes. Debora Sedaghat, D.O., an OB-GYN at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, notes that all biological systems undergo “dramatic shifts and alterations to fit the changes of pregnancy” during pregnancy. Dr. Sedaghat, who also did not participate in the study, adds, “Your heart needs to work hard, and your entire system has to work hard to accommodate, and this is all just from being pregnant.”
Before, during, and after pregnancy, anyone who is attempting to conceive can benefit from preparing their body for the physical demands of pregnancy.
How to Exercise Before Conceiving
In addition to preparing your body to carry a growing baby for nine months, more physical activity may also improve your fertility. Dr. Sedaghat explains, “It has been demonstrated repeatedly that physical activity not only enhances preconception and ovulation, but also facilitates pregnancy.” Here are some tips for optimizing your preconception workout regimen.
Concentrate on strength training.
“Strength training the entire body for not only pregnancy but also motherhood is really beneficial, so functional motions that replicate actions you may perform as a mother, such as a crib reach, baby raise, and car seat carrier, will best prepare you,” adds Carter. In addition, maintaining strong muscles may help your body manage the weight gain and facilitate postpartum recovery.
Include aerobic exercise as well.
Abby Phon, CHHC, AADP, IAHC, a certified holistic health and wellness coach, advises women to increase their heart rate for at least 30 minutes at least three times per week, regardless of whether or not they are trying to conceive. However, this is especially important in the months leading up to pregnancy. During pregnancy, your heart will have to pump up to 40 percent more blood through your body, so it’s a good idea to make sure it’s in tip-top shape beforehand.
Change the intensity.
Biola University’s Kelsey Miller, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, suggests interval training twice a week, in which you work hard and then rest for the same amount of time or slightly longer (think spin class). Then, once every week, perform a less hard but longer workout. “Aim for at least 30 minutes of continuous activity that maintains an increased heart rate,” she advises.
Strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
Jenny Arrington, a yoga teacher and health adviser in Chicago, suggests doing more to prepare your pelvic floor – the collection of muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and stool. Arrington states that “proper preparation can assist in preventing urine or fecal incontinence after the birth of the infant.” “I frequently prompt students to consider holding gas, pee, and all the muscles in between. Using a weighted egg is the best approach for women to truly grasp how to engage and strengthen all the pelvic floor muscles. The egg is deposited into the vagina, and the pelvic floor muscles must contract in order to keep it there. This is the most effective method for gauging the depth and reach of these muscles.”
Consider employing the services of a personal trainer.
Carter suggests seeking a professional personal trainer certified in prenatal and postnatal exercise, especially if you are a gym rookie. Hence, you will “ensure that you are doing moves with the correct form and alignment.”
How to Workout When Pregnant
Brianna Battles, CSCS, founder of Prenatal & Postpartum Athletics, suggests that as you continue to exercise during your pregnancy, you should continually adjust to the ever-changing physical demands of those nine months. You should be aware of how your body is changing and how your exercise affects your growing abdominal wall and pelvic floor.
Continue doing what you were doing before pregnancy.
Dr. Sedaghat encourages her pregnant patients to resume their pre-pregnancy workout regimens. “If a patient has a sedentary lifestyle, I encourage them to start walking, even if it’s just 30 minutes each day,” she says. Being physically active throughout pregnancy can facilitate labor and delivery.
Develop hip strength, suppleness, and pliability in preparation for childbirth.
Do the yoga stance Malasana to improve your ability to squat (which is a great position for pushing the baby out) and to increase your hip flexibility and mobility, as recommended by Arrington. To begin, stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips and your toes turned out 45 degrees. Bend the knees and descend the hips into a deep squat while maintaining flat feet on the floor. “If initially, it is not able to fully bend the knees, one can place a block or bolster under the hips for additional support,” she advises. The idea is to continue pressing down into the feet to engage the glutes and hip muscles, so strengthening and extending the muscles.
Do not undervalue respiration procedures.
As the infant grows, the lungs get progressively squeezed. Thus it is crucial that they learn how to breathe fully. “Not only will it assist keep her mental system calm throughout delivery, but it will also help keep her blood adequately oxygenated, so increasing her strength and endurance,” she explains. One two-step procedure she suggests is: “Shut the eyes and exhale while knitting the ribs together and drawing the navel as far as possible towards the spine. After you believe you’ve finished exhaling, squeeze the core muscles around the spine a bit further, and you’ll discover that there was more air in there. Then, you only need to relax your core muscles, and a large inhale will occur effortlessly. It may feel like your deepest, richest breath in months.”
If you feel comfortable with this exercise, use the following breathing technique to relax your nervous system: “The right thumb is used to close off the right nostril. Count your deepest breath via your left nostril, then slightly tighten your throat to slow the exhale to double that count. Hence, if you inhale for four counts, you should exhale for eight counts. This is a technique that should be thoroughly mastered during pregnancy so that it is readily accessible during delivery.”
How to Exercise After Childbirth
Every woman’s body and postpartum recovery is unique; however, Dr. Sedaghat recommends the following “Some activity, but not vigorous exercise until six weeks for vaginal births and eight weeks for cesarean births.
” But, it is not sufficient to hear “you’re cleared,”” Battles says. She encourages pursuing further “input on your body’s recovery following pregnancy and birth, regardless of how the baby was delivered. You require further knowledge and context regarding your readiness from the inside out.” Here is how Battles and other experts suggest collecting this information.
Work with a certified postnatal trainer.
“They can help you return to exercise at the correct pace, ensuring that they assist you with core and pelvic floor exercises first to reestablish those areas, as they were most damaged during pregnancy and are likely to be weaker,” adds Carter. And if you have diastasis recti, a condition in which the big abdominal muscles split during pregnancy, a skilled trainer who specializes in postnatal exercise can help you rehabilitate those areas.
Consult a pelvic floor physical therapist for treatment.
Ann Udofia, PT, DPT, advises all new mothers to consult a pelvic floor P.T. Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery are life-altering experiences that do not necessarily necessitate substantial therapy. Knowing how to take care of oneself safely and effectively, as well as the tools accessible to you, is essential.
Kujitayarisha kwa ajili ya mtoto ni wakati wenye kusisimua, lakini ni muhimu kukumbuka kwamba ujauzito unaweza kuwa na mahitaji makubwa ya kimwili kwa mwili wako. Kulingana na uchunguzi wa hivi karibuni, kuwa mjamzito kunaweza kuwa vigumu kama kukimbia mbio za masafa marefu. Kwa hiyo, ni muhimu kujua jinsi ya kutayarisha mwili wako kwa ajili ya mtoto ili kuhakikisha ujauzito wenye afya na mafanikio. Mtu yeyote ambaye amewahi kuwa mjamzito atathibitisha kwamba miezi hii tisa ni ngumu kimwili. Lakini, sayansi inaendelea kuthibitisha hasa ni kiasi gani. Utafiti uliofanywa na Chuo Kikuu cha Duke mnamo Juni 2019 ulichunguza athari za mbio ngumu (kama vile Ironman na Tour de France) kwa wanariadha wa kitaaluma na kuamua kuwa ujauzito ni sawa na kushindana katika mbio hizi. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Mwanzilishi wa Chuo cha Michezo + nje Bess Carter, NASM-CPT." "Ujauzito ni kilele cha nguvu za kimwili ambazo mwili wa binadamu unaweza kuvumilia", anasema Carter, ambaye hakushiriki katika utafiti huo. Kwa kuongezea, miezi hiyo tisa hutofautishwa na mabadiliko makubwa na yenye nguvu ya mwili. Deborah Sedaghat, D.O., OB-GYN katika Hospitali ya Mkoa wa Fountain Valley na Kituo cha Matibabu katika Fountain Valley, California, anasema kwamba mifumo yote ya kibiolojia hupitia "mabadiliko makubwa na mabadiliko ili kukidhi mabadiliko ya ujauzito" wakati wa ujauzito. "Daktari Sedaghat, ambaye pia hakushiriki katika utafiti huo, anaongeza, ""Moyo wako unahitaji kufanya kazi kwa bidii, na mfumo wako wote lazima ufanye kazi kwa bidii ili kukidhi mahitaji yako, na hii yote ni kutokana na kuwa mjamzito."" - Dr. Sedaghat, Mtaalamu wa Matibabu wa Matibabu wa Matibabu, Mtaalamu wa Matibabu ya Matibabu, Mtaalamu wa Matibabu, Mtaalamu wa Matibabu, Mtaalamu wa Matibabu, Mtaalamu wa Matibabu." Kuongeza mazoezi kabla ya mimba: Mbali na kuandaa mwili wako kubeba mtoto anayekua kwa miezi tisa, shughuli zaidi za mwili zinaweza pia kuboresha uzazi wako. "Sedaghat anaelezea, ""Imeonyeshwa mara kwa mara kwamba shughuli za mwili sio tu huongeza mimba na ovulation, lakini pia husaidia ujauzito.""Hapa kuna vidokezo kadhaa vya kuboresha utaratibu wako wa mazoezi kabla ya mimba." Zingatia mazoezi ya nguvu. "Mazoezi ya nguvu ya mwili wote kwa ajili ya mimba na pia uzazi ni yenye manufaa sana, hivyo harakati za kazi ambazo huiga vitendo unavyoweza kufanya kama mama, kama vile kufikia kitanda, kuinua mtoto, na kubeba kiti cha gari, zitakuandaa vizuri zaidi,"" anaongeza Carter." Kwa kuongezea, kudumisha misuli yenye nguvu kunaweza kusaidia mwili wako kudhibiti kuongezeka kwa uzito na kuwezesha kupona baada ya kujifungua. Pia, fanya mazoezi ya aerobic. Abby Phon, CHH, AADP, IAH, mtaalamu wa afya na ustawi, anapendekeza wanawake kuongeza msukumo wa moyo kwa angalau dakika 30 angalau mara tatu kwa wiki, bila kujali kama wanajaribu kupata mimba au la. Hata hivyo, jambo hilo ni muhimu hasa katika miezi inayoongoza kwenye ujauzito. Wakati wa ujauzito, moyo wako utahitaji kusukuma damu zaidi ya asilimia 40 katika mwili wako, kwa hiyo ni wazo zuri kuhakikisha kuwa uko katika hali nzuri kabla ya kujifungua. Badilisha nguvu. Biola University's Kelsey Miller, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, inapendekeza mafunzo ya muda mfupi mara mbili kwa wiki, ambapo unafanya kazi kwa bidii na kisha kupumzika kwa muda sawa au kidogo zaidi (fikiria darasa la spin). Kisha, mara moja kwa juma, fanya mazoezi yasiyo magumu lakini ya muda mrefu. "Lengo ni kufanya shughuli za kuendelea kwa angalau dakika 30 ambazo huhifadhi mwendo wa moyo ulioongezeka", anapendekeza. Kuimarisha misuli ya sakafu ya kitanda. Jenny Arington, mwalimu wa yoga na mshauri wa afya huko Chicago, anapendekeza kufanya mengi ili kutayarisha sehemu ya chini ya utumbo - misuli inayotegemeza kibofu cha mkojo, tumbo la uzazi, na matumbo. Arrington anasema kwamba <unk>kujitayarisha vizuri kunaweza kusaidia kuzuia kukosa umajimaji au umajimaji baada ya kuzaliwa kwa mtoto.<unk> <unk>Mimi mara nyingi huwaambia wanafunzi kufikiria kushikilia gesi, kuoga, na misuli yote kati ya hayo. Kwa kutumia yai lenye uzito, wanawake wanaweza kuelewa jinsi ya kuimarisha misuli ya sakafu ya pelvic. Kiini cha yai huingia ndani ya tumbo la uzazi, na misuli ya kitanda cha utumbo lazima ikate ili kiwepo. Hii ni njia yenye matokeo zaidi ya kupima kina na kufikia misuli hii. <unk> Fikiria kutumia huduma za mkufunzi wa kibinafsi. Carter anapendekeza kutafuta mtaalamu wa mazoezi ya kibinafsi aliyehitimu katika mazoezi ya kabla na baada ya kuzaliwa, hasa ikiwa wewe ni mwanzoni mwa mazoezi ya mwili. "Kama vile, ""Kufanya mazoezi wakati wa ujauzito"" ni mbinu ya mazoezi ya mwili ambayo Brianna Battles, mwanzilishi wa ""Prenatal & Postpartum Athletics"" anapendekeza kwamba wakati wa ujauzito, unapaswa kuendelea kurekebisha mahitaji ya mwili yanayobadilika kila wakati." Unapaswa kujua jinsi mwili wako unavyobadilika na jinsi mazoezi yako yanavyoathiri ukuta wako wa tumbo na sakafu ya pelvic. Endelea kufanya kile ulichokuwa ukifanya kabla ya kupata mimba. Dakt. Sedaghat huwatia moyo wagonjwa wake wajawazito waendelee na mazoezi yao ya kabla ya ujauzito. "Ikiwa mgonjwa ana mtindo wa maisha usio na shughuli nyingi, ninawatia moyo kuanza kutembea, hata kama ni dakika 30 tu kila siku", anasema. Kuwa na shughuli nyingi za kimwili wakati wote wa ujauzito kunaweza kuwezesha kuzaa na kuzaa. Kukuza nguvu za viuno, kubadilika-badilika, na kubadilika-badilika katika kujitayarisha kwa ajili ya kuzaa. Msimamo wa yoga wa Malassana ni muhimu kwa kuongeza uwezo wako wa kukaribia (ambayo ni nafasi nzuri ya kusukuma mtoto nje) na kuongeza kubadilika kwa kiuno na mwendo wako, kama ilivyoelezwa na Arrington. Kwa mfano, inapaswa kuwa na miguu iliyo pana kidogo kuliko viuno na vidole vya miguu vimeelekezwa kwa digrii 45. Bend magoti na kushuka viuno katika squat kina wakati kudumisha miguu gorofa juu ya sakafu. "Ikiwa mwanzoni, haiwezekani kuinamisha magoti kabisa, mtu anaweza kuweka block au bolster chini ya viuno kwa msaada wa ziada", anapendekeza. Kwa hivyo, ni muhimu kuendelea na mazoezi ya miguu ili kuimarisha misuli ya glutes na hip, na hivyo kuimarisha misuli. Usiidharau utaratibu wa kupumua. Mtoto anapokua, mapafu yake hufinyangwa hatua kwa hatua. Kwa hiyo ni muhimu sana kwamba wajifunze kupumua kikamili. "Si tu itasaidia kuweka mfumo wake wa akili utulivu wakati wa kujifungua, lakini pia itasaidia kuweka damu yake oksijeni ya kutosha, hivyo kuongeza nguvu yake na uvumilivu", anaelezea. Utaratibu mmoja wa hatua mbili anaopendekeza ni: <unk>Funga macho na kupumua huku ukifunga mbavu pamoja na kuchora tumbo kadiri iwezekanavyo kuelekea uti wa mgongo. Baada ya kuamini umemaliza kuvuta pumzi, funga misuli ya msingi kuzunguka uti wa mgongo zaidi, na utagundua kuwa kulikuwa na hewa zaidi hapo. Kisha, unahitaji tu kupumzika misuli yako ya msingi, na pumzi kubwa itafanyika bila jitihada. "Hii inaweza kuhisi kama pumzi yako ya kina zaidi na tajiri zaidi katika miezi. ""Kama unahisi vizuri na zoezi hili, tumia mbinu ifuatayo ya kupumua ili kupumzika mfumo wako wa neva: ""Kikono cha kulia hutumiwa kufunga pua ya kulia." Hesabu pumzi yako ya kina kupitia pua yako ya kushoto, kisha nyonga koo yako kidogo ili kupunguza pumzi ya nje ili kuongeza mara mbili hesabu hiyo. Kwa hiyo, ikiwa unaingiza hewa kwa hesabu nne, unapaswa kutoa hewa kwa hesabu nane. "Kila mwanamke ana mwili wa kipekee na kupona baada ya kujifungua; hata hivyo, Dk Sedaghat anapendekeza yafuatayo: ""Kazi fulani, lakini si mazoezi makali hadi wiki sita kwa kuzaliwa kwa njia ya tumbo na wiki nane kwa kuzaliwa kwa njia ya cesarean.""" <unk> Lakini, haitoshi kusikia <unk>umehamishwa,<unk> Battles anasema. Yeye hutia moyo kufuata zaidi <unk> pembejeo juu ya mwili wako <unk> kupona baada ya ujauzito na kuzaliwa, bila kujali jinsi mtoto alizaliwa. Unahitaji maarifa zaidi na muktadha kuhusu utayari wako kutoka ndani hadi nje. <unk> Hapa ni jinsi Battles na wataalamu wengine wanapendekeza kukusanya habari hii. Fanya kazi pamoja na mkufunzi aliyehitimu wa baada ya kujifungua. "Wanaweza kukusaidia kurudi kufanya mazoezi kwa kasi sahihi, kuhakikisha kwamba wanakusaidia na mazoezi ya msingi na sakafu ya pelvic kwanza ili kuanzisha tena maeneo hayo, kwani yaliharibiwa zaidi wakati wa ujauzito na yaelekea kuwa dhaifu zaidi, ""aongeza Carter." Ikiwa una ugonjwa wa diastasis recti, ambayo ni hali ambayo misuli mikubwa ya tumbo huvunjika wakati wa ujauzito, mkufunzi mwenye ujuzi ambaye ni mtaalamu wa mazoezi ya baada ya kuzaliwa anaweza kukusaidia kurekebisha maeneo hayo. Msaada wa Mtaalamu wa Fisiolojia ya Pelvic Floor Ann Udofia, daktari wa watoto, anapendekeza mama wote wapya washauriwe na daktari wa watoto wa kitanda. Ujauzito, kuzaa, na kupona baada ya kuzaa ni uzoefu unaobadilisha maisha ambao hauhitaji matibabu makubwa. Kujua jinsi ya kujilinda kwa usalama na kwa ufanisi, pamoja na zana zinazopatikana kwako, ni muhimu.