Added: 12/08/2005 |
Woman's health: swimming and pregnancyIs it reasonable to combine swimming and pregnancy?
During pregnancy a woman who goes in for sports needs to stop any active training that she regularly practices. Riding horses, skiing, cycle racing, and calisthenics can be dangerous for pregnant women. Some people even feel that, especially late in pregnancy, it is not recommended to drive a car because any hard breaking or even a light strike against steering wheel may cause early labor.
However, this does not mean that an expectant mother should abandon any physical activity. There are several physical exercises especially appropriate for pregnant women and swimming is one of the best choices for an active pregnant woman.
Swimming protects from the body from common sports injuries. If speaking more about swimming and pregnancy, swimming is less harsh on a body than any ground sports because in water body weight is reduced, which protects it from any violent impact that can cause an injury. Swimming helps to reduce joint stiffness and reduce high blood pressure. In water a body weight is approximately ten times lighter than a body weight on the ground. So, a movement spectrum of even an untrained person is wider than on the ground because water supports the weight of the limbs. Swimming is a good method of training for people who are not able to practice other ground sports, such as pregnant women.
While swimming an expectant mother can train her abdominal muscles and her shoulder muscles, which support her changing body. Swimming reduces joint stiffness without as much stress as exercising on the ground would cause.
During pregnancy about one tenth of women develop high blood pressure. This impacts the effectiveness of the uterus vessels, which provide a fetus with all the necessary nutrients and oxygen. This is how high blood pressure can stop a baby from developing in full health, by causing a deficiency of necessary nutrients and oxygen. And it can cause a development delay. High blood pressure also increases the risk of placenta detachment.
One of the most effective methods of reducing high blood pressure is swimming and pregnancy is the time when you should remember about it. This method is more comfortable than exercising on the ground and, unlike any drug, does not have unpleasant side effects.
So, as we can see a body weight reduction in water helps to reduce joint stiffness, stabilize blood pressure, and reduce the general discomfort that can occur during pregnancy. Swimming is also a very useful for pregnant women in some other ways. It is recommended for a pregnant woman to relax her muscles for several medical reasons, and swimming can allow her to this because it is easy, effective and pleasant to relax the body in water
To perform one simple relaxation exercise in or out of the water, all you have to do is lay on your back with a bolster or other pillow under your head, or if you have access to a pool you can float on the water's surface. You should relax your muscles in the following order: leg, buttocks, abdomen, chest and face. Breathing should be quiet. Your eyes should be closed, and it is often beneficial to imagine something pleasant and nice. A melodious calming music often helps to relax.
In addition to this relaxing floating practice, active swimming is also a method of general relaxation. The free, smooth and easy movements of swimming can help a pregnant woman stay calm and healthy. Some people feel that swimming is also good for the nervous system. Unlike higher impact exercise, swimming cannot injure a fetus. It is not hard to believe that swimming is pleasant not only for an expectant mother, but also for her child.
It is easy to see why so many people recommend that pregnant women attend a swimming pool. It is useful not only for you but for your future child as well. By swimming during your pregnancy, you can help make sure that you are happy and delighted in the present and you can even make it possible to be happy and healthy in the future together with your child because swimming and pregnancy is the best choice for you.
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