A Complete Guide to Swimming during Pregnancy
Swimming, which is undoubtedly one of the best exercises that contribute to a healthy body and fresh mind, is loved by men and women alike. In fact, a lot of women prefer swimming over other exercises because it is gentle on their body while also allowing them to lose weight, tone up muscles and stay fit and young. Having said that, whether to swim during pregnancy continues to be a matter of concern and many women completely quit this amazing exercise throughout their pregnancy and often end up giving up swimming for the rest of their lives. This is not desirable.
If you have once learnt swimming and love being in the water, you should make it a lifetime habit right away. But then again, when you are about to become a mother, nothing is more important than the safer arrival of a healthy baby into this world. Even the experts at any reputed Fort Worth Swim School will ideally advise you to continue swimming. So, the best thing to do is to strike a balance, consult your doctor because he/she knows your system and follow these tips to derive the benefits of swimming while pregnant.
- While quitting swimming is not at all necessary or desirable, you can be a little accommodating with respect to the stroke styles and techniques. For instance, during the early stages, all strokes are suitable but just as you advance; you need to avoid practicing backstroke swimming as it exerts direct pressure on the main blood vessels of your abdomen. After the second trimester, keep your practice restricted to the breaststroke, which actually does you good by strengthening your back and chest muscles.
- Eat well and a little more than earlier at times for the obvious reason that the calorie requirement of a pregnant body is typically high. Performing the same type of exercises will now leave you more drained. But there is actually no need of taking additional supplements if you are eating a well-balanced diet.
- Fluid intake and especially those with higher glucose content keeps your body hydrated and your energy level high. If you are training for more than 30 minutes or so, do remember to drink loads of water.
- Use the stairs to the pool because dive-offs and belly-flops are strict no-no during pregnancy. Such turns and flops, even during the early stages of pregnancy, lead to a rise in the pregnancy hormones, thereby, resulting in increased acid reflux.
- Last but not the least, make sure that the swimming pool you are practicing in is cleaned regularly and made chlorine-free. Swimming in open waters and too cold waters are also avoidable.
Follow these tips to keep swimming. However, if swimming makes you uncomfortable or leads to certain health issues like fluid loss, bleeding or nausea, immediately consult your doctor and do as directed.
