Massage & Health | Port Douglas & Mossman

Exercise During Pregnancy

Over the last few decades researchers have found that not only is exercise during pregnancy safe, but that it also promotes the health & well-being of both the infant and the mother.

1 – Safety of Exercise During Pregnancy

      The latest research on exercise during pregnancy has shown that the heart rate of both the baby and the mother increase similarly during exercise, and this increase in heart rate has had no negative health consequences on the baby.  
 
      Although exercise is safe during pregnancy , it definitely cannot be undertaken in the same way as it was before pregnancy, especially after the first trimester.

2 – The ACOG Guidelines  (American College Of Obstetricians & Gynecologists)

      1 – Mild to moderate activity can be continued throughout pregnancy.  Regular exercise is preferable (3 x week) to intermittent activity.

      2 -  Exercise in the supine position should be avoided after the first trimester. Vigorous exercise should be avoided throughout pregnancy.  

3-    Exercise during pregnancy should be modified according to maternal symptoms – such as light headedness, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea & fatigue.  If the mother to be feels great and has good fitness she can continue to exercise at intensity levels similar to those prior to pregnancy.  The revised guielines give women the green light to elevate their heart rate beyond 140 bpm and work the abdominal muscles.

4-    Pregnant women should stop exercising when fatigued and must not exercise to exhaustion.

5-    Any type of exercise involving the potential for even mild abdominal trauma should be avoided.

6-    Pregnant exercisers must have adequate hydration and wear comfortable clothing.

7-    Many of the physiological changes of pregnancy persist 4 to 6 weeks after the baby is born, so pre pregnancy exercise routines should be resumed gradually.

3 – Should Sedentary Women Begin Exercise During Pregnancy
      The answer is yes.

      Like all normal sedentary people who begin exercising, women who are inactive prior to becoming pregnant but then become active during pregnancy should increase their activity gradually.  This is a positive step forward for these women.

4 – Before beginning an exercise program just remember the following:
     
      Exercise in the supine position should be avoided after the first trimester, this  is because it can compress the vena cava blood vessel and make you feel light headed, dizzy, nauseus and breathless.

This does not mean you cannot work the abdominal muscles at all.  The Transverse abdominal muscles are very mportant in providing support for the lower back and growing abdomen and pushing the baby out during labour.

To work these transverse abdominal muscles perform an isolation contraction.  Sit or stand with your shoulders relaxed pull your belly button into your spine and hold for a few counts and then release. Try to do this up to 100 times per day.  Ths will also increase your muscular endurance.

Pregnant women produce a hormone called ‘ Relxin’ which softens ligaments throughout the body especially in the pelvic girdle.   This makes them much more prone to injury so plyometric exercises and high intensity exercise should be modified or avoided all together.

Swimming is excellent during pregnancy.  Kinder on the ligaments and joints, extra cooling effect and strain on lower back is reduced ue to buoyancy.  All moves are safe too.

5 – Bottom Line

      Exercise benefits all women during pregnancy. Moderate Ex is not only safe – it also – in many cases makes pregnancy more comfortable and speeds post birth recovery.

Exercise is a tool to help achieve the ultimate goal of pregnancy – a health baby and a healthy mum. 

The effects of Exercise on Mental Health

- For time now it has been common knowledge that exercise is good for one’s physical health.
- Yet, it has only been in recent years, that we have been informed that exercise can also be of value in promoting sound mental health.

Research shows that exercise can have effects on depression, anxiety, stress, mood state and self – esteem.  The following information is from The British Journal of Sports Medicine by D Scully, J Kremer, M Meade &R Graham.

Findings from the British Journal of Sports Medicine have shown that:

Depression

Exercise has an anti-depressive effect in persons diagnosed with clinical depression
Best results with aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
Exercise regimes that last over 17 weeks have the most positive results

Anxiety

Exercise positively invokes a reduction in anxiety
Aerobic exercise has shown the best results in reducing anxiety
The greatest results were shown when clients participate in aerbic exercise for 10 – 15 weeks or longer

Stress

Exercise helps to manage stress more effectively
Aerobic exercise appears to help stress reduction the most
Results appear beneficial after 12 weeks of exercise at 3 x a week for at least 20 mins per session

Mood State

Exercise positively affects mood states such as tension, fatigue, anger and vigor
Aerobic and Anaerobic exercise produces these positive effects
However, the exercise / mood state association remains complex and not understood


Self – Esteem

Exercise improves self – esteem
At this stage there are no conclusions as to what type of exercise is best suited to improving self – esteem.
People with low self esteem had the most significant improvements in self - esteem with exercise

Conclusion

From this brief research overview we can clearly say that exercise is related to positive psychological health and appears to have positive effects on depression, anxiety, stress, mood state and self esteem.

The reason we can only say words like ‘ related’ and ‘appears to’ when talking about the effect of exercise on mental health is because nearly all of the studies on exercise and psychological health have shown that exercise has associations with mental health variables, but not actual causal relationships.

- All of the clinical trial studies have mixed results of significant and non-significant findings which makes it difficult for scientists to give strong definite conclusions

My personal Opinion

My personal opinion on Exercise and mental health is that Exercise makes you feel good (once you have finished that is).  During Exercise your body releases endorphins and these endorphins are the body’s natural feel good chemicals, and when they are released, your mood is naturally boosted.  

So when you feel good you become motivated to repeat the activity that made you feel good.  This is why after a few weeks of exercise you become more motivated to continue the activity and I believe the motivation and feel good chemicals has a positive effect on your self – esteem, moods and stress levels.  




Note:

Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic means in the presence of oxygen... and any activity that is performed at a low to moderate intensity for more than 90 seconds, allowing oxygen to release energy through metabolism, is usually called an aerobic activity.
Anaerobic Exercise

Anaerobic means in the absence of oxygen... and any activity that is performed at a medium to high intensity for less than 2 minutes, where energy is derived without oxygen, is usually called an anaerobic activity. 

Kid’s Fitness & Health

- To be healthy & active mum’s, dad’s & kids all need physical activity everyday.  Your continuing health & wellbeing depends on it and so does the growth & development of your children.

- Around one – quarter of Australian children are either overweight or obese.  Children with weight problems tend to become obese adults, so it is important to encourage physical activity in young people.

-  Active kids tend to stay within a healthier weight range and build stronger bones, muscles and joints.  Active kids have less chance of developing some of the risk factors for heart problems and diabetes later in life.

- Kids who are regularly active also tend to have higher self esteem and well developed social skills.

- There is a range of things you can do to help your child enjoy an active life.  

1) Set a good example.  Many adults view exercise as a necessary chore rather than an enjoyable activity.  Children learn by example and research shows that the involvement of parents in physical activity can increase a child’s participation.

- Some fun activities for the family that don’t feel like exercise are:
   Fly a kite at the beach
   Dance to favourite music
   Ride bikes along beach or footpaths
   Play a family game of tennis or table tennis
   Swim and splash about at the local, pool
   Walk the dog
   Throw a Frisbee
   Rollerskate, rollerblade or skateboard
   Explore new places around your town, try a beach you have not been to, a different   park or sporting facility or even a walking trail.

2)  Reduce inactive leisure time
    Restrict television watching and other screen-based activities such as computer games to less than 2 hours per day.  Limit television viewing to programs that the kids really want to watch, then turn the television off.

3)- Start Early.  Good habits are best started early.  A young child is naturally active, so build on their inclinations to use their body.  
     - kick the ball with them when they ask
     -  Teach your child basic sporting skills such as ball throwing, skipping & jumping.  Research shows that children whose basic skills are poor tend to avoid sports.

     -  When you take them to the local playground, have a go yourself, you are likely to play for longer with your child if you are enjoying yourself too.

4)    Experiment with different activities; expose your child to as many different types of sports and physical activities as you can.  You may discover they have a passion or natural talent for at least one or more sports or activities.  Try to involve the whole family with things like a game of footy in the back yard.

5)   Make use of your own backyard “4 Mile Beach’
      We live next to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  Make the most of our natural playground and take the kids to the beach as much as possible.  There are plenty of fun activities to do at the beach.  Try building a huge sandcastle or organising a scavenger hunt.  All kids love the beach and both parents and kids can enjoy this free local activity together.
    
      We live next to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  Make the most of our natural playground and take the kids to the beach as much as possible.  There are plenty of fun activities to do at the beach.  Try building a huge sandcastle or organising a scavenger hunt.  All kids love the beach and both parents and kids can enjoy this free local activity together.