Although pregnant women can usually still follow along with a typical exercise program, whether it is flexibility, weight or cardio training, it is still important to remember that this is a special time in a woman's life, and training should reflect that.
As a pregnant woman, it is also important to understand what exactly happens during pregnancy. Obviously there's a lot more going on than an expanding waistline.
So it was kinda came as a "shock" when she was on her Japan Alps trip and could only walk for a few metres and felt breathless. How bad was it? It was just like the HPB advertisements of smokers who couldn't perform simple household tasks without panting.
A short stretch of a simple paved road like this at the Tateyama Snow Wall required more than ten minutes of start-stop walking. The sheltered hotel pit-stop looked like kilometres away...
And any flight of stairs look like they are halfway up the stratosphere...
Feeling breathless can be a bit scary at first. It’s also known as "air hunger" – in other words, a feeling that you’re hungry for air. Although it may make you uncomfortable at times, this type of breathlessness in pregnancy is harmless.
The amount of blood in a woman's body increases significantly during pregnancy. The heart has to pump harder to move this blood through the body and to the placenta. The increased workload on the heart can make you feel short of breath.
Throughout the nine months of your pregnancy, a woman of average weight can expect to gain around 10 kg or more. The additional weight puts added strain on the body, which causes the shortness of breath.
Later in pregnancy, your uterus pushes up against your diaphragm as your baby grows. This compresses your lungs, limiting their ability to fully expand when you take a breath and causing you to feel like you've just run a race when you're only halfway up a flight of stairs.
If your shortness of breath has started suddenly, is severe, seems to be worsening, or is associated with pain, coughing, wheezing, heart palpitations or chest tightness, seek medical advice immediately. These may be signs that something other than pregnancy alone is causing your shortness of breath.
Tips for Feeling Less Breathless
The main point is to remember that now, you are carrying a Mini Me inside yourself, so ease up on your expectations on yourself. (Yes, I know we women are always fond of bashing ourselves up.)
Walk slower, let the crowd go first, take more breaks if you have to. It's ok if you are slower, as long as you get there.
Start your exercise program from scratch. You cannot expect the same level of fitness during these nine months. You may have to include more low-intensity workouts in the meantime. Always check if you are unsure if a workout is "pregnancy-safe", and find a work-out buddy to keep you company.
Avoid carry heavy bags, and always maintain a good posture whether you are sitting or walking, to avoid additional stress on your back.
Breathing exercises will help increase your lung capacity and offer more chest breathing (as abdominal breathing is difficult due to expanding uterus).
Excessive breathing may cause dehydration. Drink enough water and avoiding diuretic beverages like coffee, tea, soda and alcohol.
