Have you recently been pregnant? Or do you plan on falling pregnant in the near future? We suggest educating yourself so that you can understand what is happening to your body throughout this process.
Muscle and joint changes
Expecting mothers can experience a variety of aches and/or pains due to the changes occurring in their bodies. As your body is changing, your muscles, ligaments and joints will be under more stress. The areas that take the most load generally occur around the pelvic region, lower back and shoulders. These aches can be relieved with the correct stretching and strengthening exercises.
Breathing changes
During pregnancy your breathing system adapts to accommodate the growing baby – the diaphragm raises and air space is reduced. This means you have to alter your breathing pattern to ensure you and your growing baby have enough air. Focusing on regular breathing during moderate intensity exercise is therefore extremely important.
Mental health changes
Pregnancy is a wonderful journey, but it can leave you with feelings of anxiety, depression and body rejection. Research has shown that exercise can have significant positive impacts upon your mental health. Exercise will not only help you feel better but also help you look physically better too.
Heart changes
Pregnancy causes a cascade of heart changes right from the very beginning (week 5-7). These are essential to prepare the mother’s body for labour and delivery. Your heart is responsible for pumping healthy nutrients around the body so your child can grow comfortably. Training this system through exercise will result in better long term health outcomes for you and your newborn.
Hormonal changes
During your pregnancy, your hormone response is altered. This can lead to excessive weight gain and in some cases diabetes. Exercise works directly on hormone levels and is therefore a great tool to prevent you from having large hormonal changes.
Are you worried about being pregnant? Do you want expert advice?
We understand that pregnancy is hard, really hard and therefore are here for you along your journey. At our clinic Vanessa specialises in Women’s Health Physiotherapy and she would love to meet you. Additionally, both of our Exercise Physiologists Kristin and Ebony love working with mums!
If you want to get the best possible care, book in to see one of our team members now by clicking the link https://forgewestend.com.au/book-online/#book-appointment
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