Is It Safe To Run/Jog During Pregnancy?
Exercising is the ideal and most effective way to work your heart and body. It boosts physical strength and stamina and increases the endurance level in your body. Also aids in relieving the mind from stress and positively impacts mental and psychological health in you.
Jogging/Running During Pregnancy
Expecting mothers these days have no issues with running and jogging to stay healthy and fit during their pregnancy days. This is considered safe if done in moderation while following necessary precautions, and only if you, being a mom-to-be, is already an ardent runner/jogger before pregnancy.
For women, who have not run or jogged before pregnancy, it is advisable not to take up such activities until your baby arrives. Over-stressing and fatigue should be avoided and you should take good care of yourself to ensure good health, growth and development of your unborn baby.
[ Read: Dos And Don’ts During Pregnancy ]
Is It Safe?
Running and jogging during pregnancy is acceptable, with utmost precaution, only if you were into these activities before conceiving. Wearing good and supportive shoes, warming up before going for a jog; drinking lots of water before, after and throughout the run to stay well hydrated are important pointers that expecting mothers should remember.
Do you want to start new on running and jogging? Then we must tell you that it is not advisable. Starting on a new fitness regime after getting pregnant may lead to overheating of your body and thus hamper you and your baby’s health severely. Such exercises exert pressure on the knees and since pregnancy causes body joints to loosen, your body may become more susceptible to injuries.
It is best for you (if not worked out before) to resort to light exercising, pre natal yoga, etc. You should aim at strengthening the core abdominal and pelvic floor muscles to prepare your body for labour stress.
Ideal Regime:
The do’s and don’ts that should be kept in mind by while running during pregnancy period are:
1. 1ST Trimester:
Overheating and over-stressing of your body during the 1st trimester of pregnancy can be potentially harmful for you and your baby. Hence adhere to moderation.
a) It is essential to monitor your heart rate and consume lots of water meanwhile. It will help you prevent fatigue, dehydration and ensure proper blood flow to the uterus.
b) Shoes worn while running and jogging during pregnancy first trimester should be selected carefully to give full support to your feet and maintain body balance.
2. 2nd Trimester:
As your belly grows, the centre of gravity starts to shift, changing your sense of balance and making you more prone to falling and slipping. It is thus advised to run on flat pavements and surfaces to avoid chances of getting misbalanced. However, if, God forbid, you fall, try to fall sideways or on the hands and knees to avoid shock and trauma on the abdomen.
3. 3rd Trimester:
It is recommended to listen to the requirements of your body during the 3rd trimester. You should never over stress your body, as your due date approaches and should avoid fatigue and tiredness. Running very slowly is advisable, and better still is to take up to walking rather than running and jogging in the final trimester.
[ Read: Walking During Pregnancy ]
Alarming Signs:
Expecting women under no circumstances should overwork or exhaust them. Breathlessness and exhaustion leads to increased need of oxygen in the body. In such a situation, your body uses up the oxygen that should travel to your baby and is of vital importance for his/her sustenance.
As you can infer from this article, run only if you are no stranger to it before your pregnancy and always take necessary precautions while running outside your home. In case of symptoms experienced like vaginal bleeding/fluid discharge, decreased foetal movement, swelling in the calf, dizziness, headache, difficulty in breathing, muscle pain, etc., immediately stop jogging and running and call their doctor for advice and treatment.
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