For many people running and physical activity is a daily habit and a huge part of their lifestyle. For those of you who aren't physically active daily, think of something else that is part of your everyday lifestyle. It could be having your morning cup of coffee, smoking a cigarette, taking a shower, etc. Imagine if you had to give one of these habits up? It would be extremely hard and would take getting accustom to. When women find out they are pregnant many of them believe that they have to stop running and this could lead to some health issues such as unnecessary weight gain. Also, telling a competitive or passionate runner to temporarily stop doing what they love, is like telling a chain smoker to just quit smoking their cigarettes. Luckily for these pregnant women, there is hope. Many women describe running through their pregnancies and actually describe it as being beneficial to them. Here is an example from an article I found: "Jennifer Frankowiak, a mother of one from Tampa, Fla., ran through a good deal of her pregnancy and feels she was healthier for it. "I enjoyed it, and it made me feel better about eating so much," she says. "I knew birth and recovery would be easier. My weight gain was right on target not too much and not too little." Although, it is fine to keep on running pregnant women must alter their workouts as they alter other habits as well. They should alter things like intensity and be aware of how much they are sweating and their environment, because if the mother overheats than the fetus will too. Pregnancy loosens your joints in preparation for birth, so you are more flexible but are more prone to strains and sprains. Running during pregnancy is beneficial for a women's emotional health. They tend to have a high self-esteem, a more positive attitude about pregnancy, and easier labors.
http://www.pregnancytoday.com/articles/exercise-in-pregnancy/running-while-pregnant-2251/
4 comments:
Kerry, I think this is a great topic. A lot of women are not aware they can still continue to exercise while pregnant. I myself didn't know until I saw a pregnant women on an eliptical when I used to work at a gym. Take a look at this website http://www.copacabanarunners.net/ipreg.html . its jut some more info thought you'd like.
I really enjoyed reading your article Kerry. I was unaware that you could work out while pregnant, and actually almost was scared when I saw women that were! Now I know that it is okay and will do so when I some day have a baby! PS Your homepage looks great!
This is a great article and analysis! I love how you compared running to some people has the same effect on the habits of smokers and their cigarettes. It's true, except running is a much healthier option. It's good to inform pregnant women that they don't have to stop running. It helps keep the mother healthy and it also can help prevent excessive weight gain, which can be very harmful down the road to both mother and baby.
It is great that running while pregnant doesn't affect the baby. So many people enojoy going out for a run and it would be hard for them to just sit and do nothing. Instead of using cigarettes and other harmful things to make pregnant women feel better they should go out and run.
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