By Dr. Verity Stow – QubeCore Chiropractor
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Did you know that the “2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy”
recommends that pregnant patients remain as physically active as you were previously to
becoming pregnant?
The guidelines specifically have 6 recommendations. These guidelines are as follows:
“All women without contraindication should be physically active throughout pregnancy”.
“Pregnant women should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week to achieve clinically meaningful health benefits and reductions in pregnancy complications.”
“Physical activity should be accumulated over a minimum of three days per week; however, being active every day is encouraged.
“Pregnant women should incorporate a variety of aerobic and resistance training activities to achieve greater benefits. Adding yoga and/or gentle stretching may also be beneficial.”
“Pelvic floor muscle training (e.g., Kegel exercises) may be performed on a daily basis to reduce the risk of urinary incontinence. Instruction in proper technique is recommended to obtain optimal benefits.”
“Pregnant women who experience light-headedness, nausea or feel unwell when they exercise flat on their back should modify their exercise position to avoid the supine position.”
To see the full guidelines, visit
https://csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/pregnancy/ and https://www.ccgi-research.com/pregnancy.
Make sure to check with your OB/GYN for any absolute and relative contraindications.
However, even pregnant women with absolute contraindications to strenuous activities are still
recommended to partake in daily physical activity such as walking.
Want an example of an amazing pregnant woman?
Recently, a mother-to-be ran a mile (1.6km) in 5:25 minutes while nine months pregnant. Prior
to being pregnant, she was a fast track star with a personal best of a 4:43.31 minute mile.
She kept up her training in a safe way (increasing strength training, increasing needed
hydration, slowing down on speed and cutting back on weekly mileage) to lead to this
outstanding achievement.
She’s not alone. Many marathon runners will continue to run marathons while pregnant. They
always check with their OB/GYNs prior to training and competing. Running marathons aren’t for
everyone or every runner. There are lots of new hurdles needed to be overcome, but it is
possible! The biggest thing is to remain physically active while pregnant to lower potential
pregnancy related complications.
So how can a Chiropractor help you with staying physically active while pregnant?
Chiropractors can help you stay active by strengthening the correct muscles (specifically pelvic
floor, core & hips) while you’re pregnant. Chiropractic care can also help increase range of
motion of joints that are now undergoing more compressive forces, decrease pain levels, and
decrease the increased muscle tone associated with increased strain on the body due to
Pregnancy.
QubeCore Sports & Rehab offers chiropractic care and rehabilitation in North Vancouver for a
wide range of injuries and conditions. For more information and to book your appointment
with Dr. Verity Stow, call 604.210.2274 or simply book online at QubeCore.com
