IMPLICATIONS FOR EXERCISE
- you need to avoid prolonged standing exercises and keep your legs moving, so blood does not pool in the veins of your legs.
- you should change positions slowly so you don`t feel dizzy or light-headed.
- you need to avoid lying on your back in later pregnancy because the weight of your uterus can press on the large veins returning blood to your heart and may cause dizziness.
- you should limit how hard, how long and how often you work out.
- you need to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY and work at your own pace.
RESPIRATORY CHANGES
Because each millilitre of your blood cannot carry as much oxygen as before you became pregnant, your respiratory system must work harder to supply oxygen to your organs and to your baby, especially towards the end of your pregnancy. The hormone progesterone causes you to breathe deeper to maintain a sufficient oxygen supply.
In late pregnancy, your uterus presses right up under your diaphragm, so you may find it harder to breathe deeply. You may even feel some rib pain as your ribs flare sideways to accommodate this change.
The normal respiratory system is not heavily taxed by pregnancy, so there's plenty of oxygen in reserve for moderate exercise. However, in late pregnancy, sudden increases in aerobic work to intense levels can leave you feeling breathless.
IMPLICATIONS FOR EXERCISE
- to avoid feeling out of breath, you need to limit your work-out to a level of exertion perceived as no greater than 'moderately hard.
- exercises such as the trunk stretches often feel comfortable late in pregnancy because they tend to relieve the rib pressure.
Pregnancy hormonal changes that affect exercise: Hormones (the chemical monitors of your body) cause a wide variety of changes in your body during pregnancy, which are designed to create a suitable environment for the maintenance and development of a healthy baby.
