Sport is always good and healthy, during the months of pregnancy as well. Specialists in Sports Medicine affirm that exercising during pregnancy improves muscle tone to adapt the body and also reduces the risk of suffering hypertension, gestational diabetes and overweight.
It is not recommended, however, to practice sport in cases of pregnancies with risk of premature birth, placenta previa and/or gestational diabetes, among other pathologies. For this reason, it is advisable to consult a specialist to determine the best physical activity to practice at this stage.
Running during pregnancy
Pregnancy is not the best time to start practicing this sport, but if the patient already practiced it before, there is no reason to stop doing it during the first two trimesters. It would never be recommended to a pregnant woman who has not run before to start running just at this time.
From the third trimester of pregnancy onwards, it is recommended to stop running and start walking.
It is necessary to emphasize that, even if the person regularly practices this sport, running a marathon would not be the most appropriate thing to do.
What sports can be practiced during pregnancy?
Some sports are forbidden during pregnancy:
- For risk of falling such as: cycling or horse riding.
- Contact sports such as soccer, basketball and martial arts, among others.
- Scuba diving, since it subjects the pregnant woman to very high negative pressures.
As mentioned above, running is not a problem, as long as the patient has already been running in the past. The important thing is to have a good pelvic floor. Walking is the recommended physical activity for all pregnant women, as it can be more or less demanding depending on the pace they can carry. Depending on the evolution and each trimester, this physical routine should be adapted.
On the other hand, mountaineering can be practiced within certain altitude limits. Other sports such as swimming, yoga or pilates are recommended during pregnancy.
Benefits of practicing sports during pregnancy
The benefits of practicing sports during pregnancy are not very different from the benefits of practicing sports for any other person. Among those that stand out the most are:
- Avoid overweight: With pregnancy you gain weight. Sport helps not to overdo it.
- Prevents and controls blood pressure.
- It helps to improve posture: Due to gravity, the body’s axis moves. During pregnancy, women may adopt postures that are comfortable but not correct.
- Reduce and/or control gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes appears at the time of gestation and usually disappears after pregnancy, although sometimes it may continue. It should be controlled with a diet appropriate to the pathology. Physical activity helps blood sugar levels to decrease, as in any other type of diabetes.