Exercise and pregnancy: Why you need to keep fit for your baby

GAINING too much weight while pregnant is one of the biggest challenges facing the Western world. So if we train for 12 months to run a marathon, why aren’t we training to give birth?

A pregnant Alysia Montano runs in the opening round of the women's 800 metre run during day two of the USATF Outdoor Championships.

WOMEN are putting on too much weight while pregnant and, according to a leading obstetrician, it is one of the biggest challenges facing the Western world.

According to personal trainer and mother-of-five Sharny Kieser, women should train for the birth like they do for any other physical event.

“We train for 12 months for a marathon or a cycling event, there’s a lot of preparation for a physical event like that, so if you’re pregnant for nine months, what are you putting in to prepare yourself for those hours of labour?” Ms Kieser said.

“You need to be fit, healthy and mentally prepared.

“A lot of people are scared they might harm their baby if they exercise, but as a pregnant woman you know your body better than anyone else, and you know what it can handle.

“People use things like having cravings and eating for two and all those cliches as an excuse to let their health go — but you’re not dying, you’re only pregnant.”

Ms Kieser’s comments come after five-time USA national champion Alysia Montano competed in an 800m track meet at 34 weeks pregnant. She copped plenty of criticism, but as Montano said, “it was just a run”.

“I’m just continuing my fitness. I’m keeping my aerobic level up, and that’s the biggest, biggest thing I have been able to do,” she said after the race. “Keeping my body agile, ready to perform this amazing, amazing athletic event which is labour. I mean, that in itself is much harder than 800 metres.

“I wanted people to recognise that pregnancy is not an ailment, it’s not a sickness and this is what the female body can do. We’re strong, we’re not fragile, we’re not going to fall apart. We were made to do this.”

Alysia Montano.

Montano, 28, told Athletes Talk it was recommended by doctors around the world that “you do remain fit in your pregnancy so that you can help deliver your child with more ease”.

She said women were not keeping active while pregnant because they are “living in a society now where it’s easy to sit down and have everything brought to you”.

“If you think about pregnancy in, you know, the primitive days — women were moving, they were working ... I want to be completely honest, [there is now this] ‘lazy aura’ that has been surrounding pregnant woman; like it’s just been ‘now it’s time to sit down’, and it’s not the case at all,” she said.

Dr Gino Pecoraro, obstetrics and gynaecology spokesman for the federal AMA, said in Australia and in many western countries, “our biggest problem is that people don’t exercise enough, and women are putting on too much weight while pregnant.

“So, unfortunately, we start off from the point of view that pregnant women are not doing enough exercise,” he said.

Sharny with Hugo. Picture: Melissa Jean Photography

Ms Kieser said she felt energised during her last pregnancy with Hugo, who she gave birth to on Saturday. She had no morning sickness, and was able to have a pain-free birth. Her labour lasted just three hours, and she credits it to her health and fitness regime.

“A pain-free birth was something I desperately wanted. I was told it existed, and what I wanted to know was, can you push a baby out pain free? And, you can — I did.

“The only thing I changed this pregnancy was my food and exercise. I only gained 10kg this time around, instead of 30 like with my previous babies. So there’s got to be a link with all of this. It just can’t be coincidental.

“When you fall pregnant, you can’t diet. You can’t start watching what you’re eating, you’ve got to be sensible for your baby. So I made sure that everything I put in my mouth was the most nutritionally beneficial thing I could be giving my baby.”

Ms Kieser said she took a moderate approach to exercise — walking, body weights — being intentionally active for never more than 15 minutes a day.

“With my other kids I’ve still been busy, so the rest of the time it’s just been doing things with them, playing outside, stuff to make me huff and puff,” she said. “I felt ready physically. Think of how long you could be squatting for in labour — your legs need to be prepared. I wanted to be fit for Hugo.

“It is so important for pregnant woman to eat the right food and exercise while pregnant. So important — for themselves, their unborn child and their family.”

Sharny, 8 months pregnant having gained 10 kilograms.

Sharny, 8 months pregnant after gaining 30 kilograms.

Dr Pecoraro said he does “encourage women to be active and do some exercise when pregnant.

“Olympians like Montano have babies too, and they don’t suddenly stop exercising,” he said. “They obviously operate at a fitness level above the average person, but we absolutely recommend low-impact exercise for pregnant women.

“You do have to be careful because of the hormonal changes in pregnancy — your joints get looser, you can damage ligaments, or overheat and raise your core temperature too much.

“That’s why, actually, the best form of exercise for a pregnant woman is sex. Provided they don’t just lie there, sex is fun exercise — you’ve got an increased libido when you’re pregnant, there’s an increase in blood flow in the genital region, you get a bit of breathing going, it’s easy on your joints.

“I’m also a fan of getting into a pool, which allows buoyancy and takes the pressure off your joints. You could also do yoga or pilates. It’s just essential to remain active.”

What do you think about Kieser, Montano and Pecoraro’s comments? Tell us below