I always thought pregnant women were not supposed to exercise because something could happen to the baby. But according to the article, "Pregnant Exercisers Test Limits," that is not true.
Some fears for doctors include pulling abdominal muscles for runners, or raising body temperatures that could harm the baby. One woman was 11 weeks pregnant and swam 30 miles across the English Channel, in 9 hours and 30 minutes.
Another ran seven-minute miles until she was 39 weeks pregnant.
But it is hard to determine what is a good standard for everyone because no one is really willing to endanger their unborn child. Advice can go from stopping all exercise to "listen to your body."
A 1980's theory is to keep your heart rate below 140 when exercising, which keeps you from overexerting yourself, but some doctors like Dr. Shangold, feel this isn't effective. Dr. Shangold is an expert recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
"Heart rate is not a useful parameter to monitor during pregnancy,” said Dr. Shangold. “It varies widely during pregnancy and the heart rate response to exercise also varies widely."
Exercising is very important in many women's life, and pregnancy should not keep a woman from doing something she loves unless she can't handle it.
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