Is Cycling a Good Exercise To Do While Pregnant?
September 16, 2008
Cycling for pregnant women might not sound like the best thing but in fact it is an excellent low impact exercise which is widely recommended by many professionals for women that are pregnant. Cycling will help pregnant women stay in shape and get their heart and lungs working, hence providing an excellent cardiovascular work out.
Cycling burns a high amount of calories compared to some other forms of exercise. The fact that you are pregnant normally means that you will eat more since you are now eating for more than one person. That coupled with the fact that women tend to exercise less during pregnancy means that there is a tendency to put on an unhealthy amount of weight. It is a good idea to monitor your eating habits while you are pregnant. You may be surprised at how much you eat, the times of the day you eat and what it is you start eating. By monitoring this you can then make any necessary changes to your diet or life style before any major problems arise.
It is important that you are already a proficient cyclist before you start cycling for exercise reasons while you are pregnant. The reason for this is because while pregnant your center of gravity sometimes shifts after the first trimester, in some women this can cause problems with balance and hence make them more prone to accidents. It can even make you feel forgetful. So if you have been suffering from these symptoms, do not worry it is perfectly normal. But for these reasons, while pregnant, it is paramount that you take all possible safety precautions and ride in a safe and controlled manner and preferable away from main and busy roads. If there are cycle routes near where you want to cycle then try and stick to those.
The human body is an amazing thing and your baby is well protected by amniotic fluid, so that it will be fine if you have the odd knock or bump. However, it is best to avoid doing anything that is potentially dangerous. Riding during or just after rain when the roads are wet or riding over rocky or rough roads or terrain, should be off your agenda. It is also a good idea to keep in mind that you are now carrying more weight than before you where pregnant, so it might take the bicycle longer to stop when you apply the brakes.
If you do not feel safe riding a bicycle on the roads while you are pregnant then why dont you ride a stationary exercise bicycle instead. This still gives you an excellent cardiovascular workout but with out the risk of riding on the roads. Try and eliminate any excuses that come in your way, as to why you cannot exercise. If you are really concerned that for some reason your health will be in jeopardy if you start exercising then I would suggest you consult a doctor. Consulting a doctor is something you should do anyway before undertaking an exercise routine.
You must not over exert yourself while riding, or doing any other form of exercise for that matter. If you can get a heart rate monitor then it is a good idea to monitor your heart beats and to make sure they do not exceed 140 beats per minute.
Remember, you are not trying out for the Olympics here you are simply exercising to help keep you fit during pregnancy as you pregnancy and the birth should go a lot smoother if you are fit and healthy. And afterwards you should be able to get back to your normal figure (or even better) at lot quicker, than if you had not exercised at all.
Cycling can begin to feel a bit uncomfortable to do in the later stages of your pregnancy. At this point you might want to consider other forms of exercise, such as swimming or walking, but whatever you do, make sure you keep active and keep exercising, you just might have to modify the exercises you do as you progress in your pregnancy. As mentioned earlier, always keep your doctor informed of what sort of exercises you plan on doing at different stages of your pregnancy.
Carla Johnson is a health and fitness fanatic, to learn more about exercise and weight loss during pregnancy and how you can regain your pre-pregnancy within a few weeks not months visit her web page at: http://www.squidoo.com/safeexerciseduringpregnancy/
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