Pregnancy and Fitness

Since I first started off as a fitness coach the standard for pregnancy has been to keep the heart rate below 140 BPM. My athletic clients have seemed to trend over 140 BPM and they have all had very healthily babies. This standard was thought to come from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, but they have never issued the warning. Here is a real quick history lesson, in 1985 when the fitness craze was taking off it was recommended that vigorous exercise was discouraged because it may deprive a fetus of blood and raise a pregnant woman’s core temperature to dangerous levels. In 2002, it was reported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist that exercise was safe for expecting mothers and a vital part of prenatal heath. This article reveals the thought of the times, “Pregnancy is no longer a condition for confinement.” Funny the way we use to think about pregnancy. I have to say as a dude I didn’t quite know how to approach a strong fit woman as a rookie coach, but I learned that as a standard, women are more athletic than the majority of men, and I’ve worked with the best! Never-the-less the 140 BPM myth lives on. There is no 0ne-size-fits all. I worked with woman that have reduced there level of training while pregnant and others that have plowed right through their training as they did prior to their pregnancy. James M. Pivarnik, Ph.D., director of Center for Physical Activity and Heath at Michigan State University in East Lansing says “once she gets the green light from her physician, a woman can pretty much do whatever her body and lack of symptoms allow her to do.” I totally understand you want to stay fit while you’re expecting, but this isn’t the time to pick up the pace of your routine. As a general rule, it is fine to workout to a point of fatigue but not exhaustion. Use common sense and always check with your doctor first.

Check in tomorrow for another great tip.