Can You Do Exercise While Pregnant? (Pregnant Athlete Exercise Test)
If you are someone who has always done sports in your life, you may not be able to do sports at the same pace, but you can continue your sports life as much as your pregnancy allows, under the supervision of a doctor, without taking a break. You can also learn your tempos with our "Pregnant Athlete Exercise Test" and have a controlled process.
Why is it Important to Exercise for Expectant Mothers?
Mother's comfort; Ensuring emotional and physical well-being is one of the main goals of prenatal care. In this context, issues such as whether women who do sports at various levels (Olympic, elite, recreational, etc.) do sports during their pregnancy, whether they continue their exercise and training programs, whether they start doing sports or not are important.
The positive effects of exercise on the metabolism, cardiovascular, respiratory, movement and nervous systems have been known for a long time, and these effects are also valid for pregnant women.
Can Pregnant Women Do Sports?
The answer to the question "Can pregnant women do sports?" is undoubtedly "yes" and pregnancy does not prevent a woman from doing or starting sports. Women who do not have a serious health problem such as uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, kidney failure, active vascular occlusion, heart disease, kidney failure can do sports during their pregnancy. However, every pregnant woman who is considering doing sports should first be evaluated by a gynecologist and obstetrician in order to detect any problems that may occur during pregnancy.
Who Should Stay Away from Sports During Pregnancy?
As a result of this evaluation, it is unsafe for patients who are found to have pregnancy problems such as premature birth and threat of miscarriage, unexplained vaginal bleeding, lower position of the baby's partner, and open water bladder, to do sports during pregnancy.
What should be the tempo of exercise during pregnancy?
Professional organizations of Obstetrics and Gynecology are quite conservative on this issue and generally recommend 30 minutes of light walking 4-5 days a week. As a general rule, pregnant women's exercise tempo should be low enough to be able to talk to themselves comfortably, but high enough to not be able to sing.
How to Calculate the Tempo of Exercise During Pregnancy?
Another practical formula is presented as ensuring that the pulse rate remains below the calculated number (220 - maternal age) x 0.8. However, in recent years, some researchers have begun to question this classical approach and have revealed that exercising at higher levels during pregnancy will not negatively affect pregnancy outcomes in women who exercise regularly.
Until How Many Months Can Exercise Be Done During Pregnancy?
According to new data, women who exercise regularly can maintain their pre-pregnancy exercise routine in the first six months of pregnancy, and should gradually reduce it in the following weeks.
What is the “Pregnant Athlete Exercise Test”?
In our clinic, within the scope of the "pregnant athlete exercise test" project, personalized training upper limits are determined for women who do active sports. Within the scope of this project, the amount of blood flowing to the baby from the mother before training is determined with the help of Doppler ultrasonography, and then, after the athlete mother trains on the treadmill or exercise bike for approximately 4 minutes at the target pace, the amount of blood flowing to the baby is recalculated. The upper limit of training is determined in the presence of a decrease in the amount of blood flowing to the baby and stimulating findings in the heart rhythm and flow pattern.
As can be seen, pregnancy is not a "make or go" point for women who do sports and want to continue their training program. With appropriate basic evaluation and personalized tests, amateur athletes can continue their training programs, professional athletes can continue their careers, and enthusiasts who want to start sports can take their first steps safely.