June 27, 2018
Exercise During Pregnancy
It is well documented that exercising during pregnancy has numerous benefits for both the mother and the fetus (i.e. improve control with weight gain, strength core and pelvic control, improve capability to breath, reduce change of gestational diabetes and so on).
Exercise is a good thing !!!
However, there is a large concern about exercising and overheating. Because of temperature gradient, heat to transferred from hot to cold. While exercising, the mother’s body temperature increases and the possibility of this consumed heat will transfer to the fetus causing development issues. So the question of “Will the increase in body temperature affect my unborn child???” is a reasonable concern. However I will give you a three reasons to help reduce your concerns about overheating from exercising during pregnancy.
Before you begin any type of exercise regimen, you should speak to your doctor first.
1. You have a body temperature set point.
Basically, the body temperature set point is when the body finds its comfort level (like the 3 bears, not too hot, not too cool). This means that the body is able to improve its capacity to eliminate the extra heat generated during pregnancy. Studies has shown that the body temperature progressively decrease within only ten minutes in the beginning of exercise sessions. Overall, the body’s set point for normal body temperature decreases as does the set point for sweating hence pregnant women swear more readily to dissipate excess heat.2. You have that “pregnant glow”!!!
It is a common saying of women having a “glow” or “radiance” to them during their pregnancy. Well, that is because you do. Because of the hormonal increase (i.e. pregestrone), the blood vessels become dilated hence allowing more blood to
flow to the skin surface. You may have “warm” or “flush” feeling in your face or hands due to the thin skin layers within these regions of the body. In addition, the increase in blood volume helps maintain blood flow at a high level activities (exercise wink, wink). This means that during exercise, adequate blood flow reaches the skin to allow heat to leave the body and start the sweat process.
3. You are built for this!!!
During pregnancy, a women body temperature is typically higher during the first trimester as well as the mornings. But, the body temperature decreases as both the pregnancy and day goes on. One of the reasons is because of breathing capacity. Contrary to the common thought, pregnant women ability to breath in more air increases 40-50% within the pregnancy. As more air is exhaled from the body, more heat is dissipated from the body. So, deep breathing and long exhalation helps get rid of heat during exercise.Overall, you should be mindful and practice safety precautions you establish with your doctor and a professional that specialize in this area. Exercise should be fun and consistent. Find something that you like and stick with it.
