The benefits of sport during pregnancy

However, it is important to know which exercises are better and which should be avoided.

Sports and assisted reproduction procedures.

The day of the embryo transfer has arrived and you do not have to reduce your daily activities. However, you should try not to make any effort involving abdominal impact. The ovaries may cause you discomfort, the cervix is now more vascularized. In addition, with vaginal progesterone, you may spot a little. Pilates and yoga, for example, are not recommended immediately after embryo transfer, as they can cause intra-abdominal pressure.

On the other hand, sports are not contraindicated, but extreme, high-impact or prolonged sports should be avoided. You can do gentle and moderate exercises that will help you relax and not to think too much about the treatment.

First weeks of pregnancy and sports

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Moderate exercise is recommended during pregnancy, unless the gynecologist identifies a risk to the expectant mother or baby. Keeping your body active will help you feel better physically: you will be able to better cope with the typical discomforts of the first months of pregnancy. Sport also helps:

• Sleep better,
• Maintain the correct weight within the margins indicated,
• Prepare your muscle tone and body for childbirth.

However, it is important to moderate the intensity of sport as pregnancy progresses. It is important to continue with the exercise that your body is already used to, with a certain routine. If the habit is indoor running, cycling or a similar high-impact sport, it is best to get your doctor's approval.

In the third trimester, it is advisable to agree with your gynaecologist to maintain or reduce your exercise routine. If you are physically active, you should always pay attention to your hydration, do not choose the hottest hours of the day and eat well before and after exercise.

Recommendations before giving birth

There are some activities that are especially recommended before childbirth because they have a very positive effect:

• Yoga and Pilates (unless you are doing belly pressing exercises). Both practices help to prevent back pain, maintain good posture and relax.
• Exercise in the water The risk of injury is reduced. Swimming a few laps, light synchronised swimming or water aerobics can not only relax you, but also keep you fit, increase back muscle tone and help improve posture.
• Walking. Walking is essential from the beginning to the end of pregnancy. This low-impact aerobic exercise helps prevent circulatory problems. Walking also prevents leg and foot swelling, constipation and helps with weight control.

Effects of activity on the baby's health

In the past, pregnant women were considered vulnerable patients who were prescribed rest at home. However, scientific research over the last twenty years has shown that supervised sport in non-sedentary people before pregnancy has many benefits for the health of the pregnant woman and also for the foetus. So much so that, today, sport and pregnancy are an essential combination. However, it should always be evaluated and supervised by a gynaecologist and a sports medicine professional. Sport during pregnancy can reduce certain risks:

• Gestational diabetes. It is estimated that around 9% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. Intense or intensive exercise reduces the risk of developing diabetes by more than 50% compared to women who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, the combination of dietary control and physical exercise has been shown to reduce the need for insulin in pregnant women who have developed gestational diabetes.
• Preeclampsia. Physically active pregnant women have a 40% lower risk of preeclampsia or gestational toxemia. This medical complication is associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension and high levels of protein in the urine. Women who exercise aerobically for 30 to 60 minutes, 2 to 7 times per week, are less likely to develop hypertensive disorders, including gestational hypertension. This reduces induced labor and premature births caused by this gestational disease.
• Benefits for the baby. Mothers who practice sport or moderate physical activity are more likely to have a baby with a normal weight. On the other hand, the deliveries of women who exercise are shorter, less problematic and with less acute fetal distress. The incidence of premature births is also lower.

Sports and fertility

Regular and moderate exercise has cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine and neurological benefits. A healthy body mass index (BMI) increases the chances of becoming pregnant, while being overweight is related to infertility problems in both women and men. Sport also reduces stress, improves sleep quality and mood. All this translates into improved physical fitness. This, in turn, promotes the proper functioning of our organism and improves our personal well-being, which is very positive for fertility.

However, this does not mean that one person who exercises regularly is much more fertile than another. The key to fertility is age and a healthy reproductive system. Unless contraindicated, exercise is always better than no exercise. If you are in good health, eat a balanced diet and are at the right weight, 30 to 45 minutes of exercise, four to five times a week, will be sufficient. Swimming or some aerobic activities such as walking or dancing and moderate gymnastics are good options.

On the other hand, too much sport and long sessions of intense exercise can affect reproductive capacity. This causes hormonal imbalances that impair ovulation in women and affect sperm quantity and motility in men. In women, intense sport can delay the onset of menstruation or cause menstrual irregularities. Finally, as far as male fertility is concerned, training and competition in high-level sports produce free radicals that deteriorate seminal quality in the long term. However, it is true that exposure to these events must be sustained over time for this effect to occur.

Source: IVI-Fertilite.fr

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