Stretching and prenancy

Hello,
I was told that stretching while your hands are over head is bad because it has a tendency to tangle the embilical cord up.Any takers?
Your Brother in the Arts

I don't know about the tangle thing, it sounds unlikely, but I think you would be better to contact a doctor.

As for stretching generally in pregnancy it is advised to do so with some caution.

I cant remember the details but my Yoga instructor (who was pregnant at the time) was telling me that in pregnancy (I think in the last trimester) there are chemicals released in the body which promote flexibility - for obvious reasons, but these chemicals can also effect tendons etc. in regular stretching.

Please don't quote me on this I have no real knowledge on the subject but I thought it would be worth a mention.

I believe you are correct, the hormone is called "relaxin".

Regds

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MrVigerous:
I believe you are correct, the hormone is called "relaxin".

Regds[/QUOTE]

I thought you were joking, until I looked it up. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

lol, yes "relaxin" i was very suprised when i heard that at the antinatal classes with my wife.

Wish i could buy a very large bottle of it, my flexibility could do with a boost..lol

Hi Brewer, I researched this subject recently when a student of mine was pregnant.
I could find no info on the subject either from my governing body or the sports council so I did my own research.
First of all MrV mentioned relaxin. This hormone softens the ligaments so you should do no hamstring stretches. You must not do sit ups or leg raises with both feet on the floor because it is dangerous to lie flat on your back for long periods whilst pregnant. You can still do these if you place a cushion under one hip (alternating hips is best).
You should avoid high impact such as running on the spot, (marching is better, slowing down as pregnancy progresses) and you should avoid bagwork. Jumping kicks should be avoided for obvious reasons.
You should not be breathless for long periods as you may be depriving your baby of oxygen. You should not let your heart rate exceed 140 bpm, if your heart is racing, so is your baby's.
Lastly, drink plenty of water and listen to your body, pregnancy is not the time to push yourself to the absolute limit.
Do not think of giving up training though unless you have medical advice to the contrary. I excercised throughout all three of my pregnancies without problem and I have three very healthy children aged 14,13 and 8. And I got back into shape very quickly.
Good luck
Sharon

Hey,
I posted this subject for the females when I was moderating.I do appreciate the replies but do not visit this site very often anymore.
Thankyou,
Your Brother in the Arts

LOL So sorry Brewer, I thought YOU were pregnant! [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]
Sharon

Hi there Brewer what happened to you. You seemed to disapear off of the face of the earth. Hope you decide to stick around.

Regds
Mr V

Hey Mr V,
The replies were getting few and in between.I just started looking around for other things to do.Hope you've been good.
Your Brother in the Arts

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wadowoman:
Hi Brewer, I researched this subject recently when a student of mine was pregnant.
[/QUOTE]

Sorry to be in this one so late, but a friend of mine from Kung Fu club is 5 months pregnant at the moment, and thoroughly cheesed off at not being able to train with the rest of the class. Are there any particular programmes of exercises that you can suggest from your experience?

Hi Charles
Please excuse my ignorance, I know very little about kung fu.
Do you do forms/kata? If so, your pregnant friend can still do them, but gently, like in tai chi.
She can, in fact, pratice all her techniques this way. She obviously should not fight, nor hit a bag hard.
I have cut and pasted below an advice leaflet that I hope may be of use.
sharon
Exercising
Safely
During
Pregnancy
For women who already
Participate in a sport or
exercise regime and wish
to continue whilst they
are pregnant

This leaflet was written by Sharon Hawker, Martial Arts
instructor specifically for one of her own students because
there was very limited information available for women
who wish to continue their chosen sport/art safely whilst
pregnant.

It may be reproduced in any form as long as it is given free of charge to women of childbearing age or fitness/sports/
martial arts instructors who may find it useful.

Whilst the contents were deemed correct at the time of printing you should ALWAYS consult your GP/Midwife as soon as you think you may be pregnant before continuing your training.

Sharon Hawker may be contacted at the following email
address: shingitaiwadoryu@aol.com />
Introduction

As long as all is going well, it is not only safe to continue exercising throughout your pregnancy, doing so has many benefits . The healthier and fitter you are, the easier your pregnancy, delivery and recovery afterwards will be.

However, there are certain exercises that you should not do and others that you may need to do differently.

This leaflet outlines the changes you may have to make to your exercise schedule.

The first thing you should do is tell your instructor/coach that you are pregnant.If they have no experience of teaching someone who is pregnant, you can show them this leaflet so you can adjust your training schedule accordingly.

You should also consult your GP
And take on board any further advice he/she may offer.
Aerobic Exercise should be limited to low impact only. This means that for example GENTLE jogging is fine as long as it causes no discomfort but star jumps etc. are definitely out.

As your pregnancy progresses, and jogging becomes uncomfortable, marching and later, walking instead will be safer options.

If you practice martial arts, any technique that requires both feet to leave the floor at the same time i.e. jumping kicks are to be avoided.

You should avoid forced passive stretches such as reaching for your toes whilst standing and all hamstring stretches. This is because the pregnancy hormones soften the joints, so overstretching and muscle injury is a greater risk. GENTLE stretching either standing with bent knees or sitting are fine.

You also need to protect your back and abdominal muscles by using good posture and by avoiding exercise
that will strain them. For instance, when doing sit-ups, you should place a cushion under one hip (pregnant women should not lie flat on their back for long periods) and keeping both feet on the floor with both knees bent, sit up until you can touch your knees with your fingertips. These should be done GENTLY and you should stop at the first sign of discomfort.

If your workout normally includes press ups, you can continue to do them if you do so on your knees with your body weight over your arms. You should stop if you experience any discomfort in the abdomen or in the knees. Do not do full press ups.

If you are doing leg raises, do not lift both legs off the floor at the same time. Keep one foot on the floor with your knee bent. Again place a cushion under one hip so you are not lying flat.

If you are a martial artist, obviously all contact or risk of contact should be avoided completely
IMPORTANT SAFETY POINTS

PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD AVOID BEING BREATHLESS FOR LONG PERIODS. THIS IS BECAUSE YOU COULD BE DEPRIVING YOUR BABY OF OXYGEN. If you feel yourself becoming breathless slow down and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth slowly and deeply until you recover.
CHECK YOUR HEART RATE AT REGULAR INTERVALS AND ENSURE IT DOES NOT EXCEED 140 BEATS PER MINUTE. . IF YOUR HEART IS RACING SO IS YOUR BABY’S!
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. Remember that even in the beginning, your body is working overtime to sustain two people.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you are experiencing discomfort, your body is telling you something. Stop the exercise you are doing and tell your instructor immediately. Pregnancy is not the time to test your endurance limit!

Pelvic Floor Exercises

These exercises are crucial throughout pregnancy and beyond. You can do them at any time without anyone knowing. All you do is contract the muscles around the urethra, vagina and rectum as though you are trying to stop urinating. You should do them several times a day.

If you are not sure that you are doing them right, try to stop urinating whilst you are on the loo or do them whilst making love and ask your partner if they can feel the muscle contractions.


After the birth

Unless you have had a Caesarean , You can start gentle exercise including sit ups (starting with just 2 or 3 at a time and increasing gradually) within a couple of days.
Once you have been given the all clear at your six week check up and you are happy to leave your baby you can
slowly and gradually resume your normal exercise regime.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wadowoman:

Please excuse my ignorance, I know very little about kung fu.
Do you do forms/kata? If so, your pregnant friend can still do them, but gently, like in tai chi.
[/QUOTE]

I can't believe you're asking me to excuse you, after providing such a terrifically detailed post! Yes, we do do forms (or at least, people at my friend's level (Green sash) do - we blue sashes are still on our basics [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

Thanks very much for the information - my friend and I are agreed that we owe you a pint [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

Incidentally, have you considered submitting it for inclusion in the Fighting Arts reading room?

[This message has been edited by charles mckey (edited 05-16-2003).]

Hi Charles,
I am glad you and your friend found the information useful.
I had not considered including it in the reading room here but maybe I will.
Sharon

WOW, Sharon, great post.

I’m trying to memorise it all.

Thanks,

Mark

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mark:
WOW, Sharon, great post.

I’m trying to memorise it all.

Thanks,

Mark[/QUOTE]

Mark,
You have obviously just come in from work and are very tired.
Why don't you print it off instead of trying to memorise it?
Sharon [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]