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PRENATAL POSTPARTUM FITNESS

Physical activity is typically encouraged in pregnant women, unless told otherwise by a medical professional. However, there are several contraindications for pausing exercise while pregnant. For example, if the woman is experiencing any bleeding during her second or third trimester. The exercise professional (EP) must be knowledgeable about the various contraindications to look out for and know when to pause physical activity. Maximal exercise testing should not occur during testing. If the EP sees the benefit in doing a submaximal exercise test, this must be cleared by a medical professional first. A PARmed-X test can be given to women as their version of a physical activity readiness medical examination. Typically, 20-30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise is recommended for most days during the pregnancy. The EP should develop a program based on their current fitness level before they became pregnant, and consider any symptoms that show up during exercise. If the woman is feeling dizzy or having chest pain, the EP should immediately stop the workout. Also, the aerobic intensity should always be kept at a talking pace, to control the heart rate from increasing to an unhealthy level. The EP should use the current fitness level, along with preference to create an exercise program. Aerobic activities such as swimming, walking and cycling should be considered. Pelvic floor and kegel exercises can be performed daily and will continue to help postpartum. However, pregnant women should avoid contact and collision sports, jumping, hot yoga or pilates or holding a supine position for long periods of time, due to the restriction of blood flow to the uterus (Liguori et al., 2021).

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