Pregnancy Exercise Cycling Tips For Pregnant Moms | Cycling Tips For Pregnant Moms |
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Cycling is a great exercise for pregnant women with previous exercise experience. However, women who have no exercise experience prior to their pregnancy, or who are not familiar with cycling, should avoid this exercise. It is far safer and much less stressful if you choose a sport like walking or swimming instead. What are the benefits of cycling? Cycling has a number of benefits such as: -It improves and strengthens your muscles, particularly those in your back and legs. -It boosts your energy level -It reduces stress -It can be a lot of fun How should I cycle? You will want to sit up straight when you ride your bike, especially as your tummy grows. To make it easier for you, slowly raise the handlebar stem on your bike as far up as you can manage. Every week raise the bar less than half an inch. If you make the change too quickly, you risk hurting your back. You can also try shifting your seat in a downward position to try to shift more of your weight to your arms and away from your pelvis. When riding you should avoid rough terrain. Ride on smooth paved roads, and keep your eyes looking straight ahead so you can see everything in front of you. If possible, you should avoid riding on roads with cars as you don’t want to run the risk of getting struck by a vehicle. If you can, stick to sidewalks, a bicycle path, or residential streets with less traffic. How long should I cycle for? You should cycle for as long as 20-30 minutes. That being said, make sure you are not over exerting yourself. Remember, you heart rate shouldn’t exceed 140 bpm. If you feel out of breath, lower the intensity of your cycling, or get off your bike and walk beside it for a while to catch your breath. Is there anything I should be aware of? It's a good idea to stop cycling when you are nearing the end of your second trimester. The larger your tummy grows the more your centre of gravity changes and you will have a harder time keeping your balance. This can make it easier for you to lose balance and fall off your bike. You can become overheated from cycling, especially if the weather is warm and you are out for a while. Therefore, to avoid becoming overheated, shorten the length of time you cycle on warmer days, and when the weather is really hot, don’t cycle. You should stop cycling if you experience any symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, fainting, vaginal bleeding, and any of the other symptoms associated with exercise described in chapter 6. If you have any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately! |
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