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Welcome to the launch of Innersophia Girl. This is a spin
off from Innersophia and a place where you can feel at home, and explore your alternativeness.

We invite you to take a look around,
if you feel offended please leave,
but if your eyes are open to the possibility of ghosts, goblins and
a touch of magic please
stick around.

Get in touch with your inner Sophia and be proud of who you are, everyone is different and you know what? That's the way we like it!!

"More than just a hip* knitting/crochet book: Fiber enthusiasts, DIY fashion
designers and other
dark-minded crafters alike will be inspired by the wide variety of cool, nontraditional projects, to try something new."

Exercise and Pregnancy

Exercising has many benefits during both your pregnancy and when it comes to giving birth. Actually, it makes for an easier pregnancy and delivery.
It has been found that women who exercised during pregnancy carried a healthier baby with a stronger foetal heart rate and time spent in labour was shortened significantly.

This is great news for both mother and baby!
Mothers who exercise during pregnancy generally have a quicker recovery and regain their pre-baby shape sooner!

Diet and weight gain

During your pregnancy expect to gain up to 15kgs, this is normal. Do not try to diet or count calories during this time; the baby needs the extra nourishment. This nourishment is also stored in the breast milk later on in the pregnancy. The general recommendation is to eat about 300 extra calories (of whole, healthy bio-dynamic food) per day and drink plenty of water.

Exercise

It is recommended to exercise when pregnant up to three times per week for 25mins at a time. It is important to have an extended warm up and warm down of about 10mins before and after every exercise session.

During the first trimester (weeks 1-12), you may continue to exercise almost as normal, provided you have been exercising prior to becoming pregnant. Remember you are no longer training to improve but just to maintain your strength and fitness so do not push yourself and keep your HR below 150 BPM. If you have been partaking in weights sessions at the gym prior to pregnancy the same rule applies, but do more reps with lighter weights. Avoid heavy weights completely. It’s all about control and maintenance, not pushing yourself. I can’t stress this enough!

Pregnant women should keep away from ALL contact sports and replace them with low impact exercises such as cycling, swimming, or brisk walking. These exercises have little or no impact risks. Aqua aerobics is great as well as Yoga, Pilates, and other low impact classes.

 If you have not exercised prior to pregnancy, I suggest investing in a HR monitor and check it every 5 minutes during exercise, remember to keep your heart rate below 150BPM. The above classes and exercises are recommended but be careful not to over do it. Any strength exercises e.g. squats, lunges etc should be done ONLY with your body weight, do not add any extra weight and do not go too deep. But always consult your doctor before beginning exercise.

Stretching

Include gentle stretching in your exercise program and go for the slow, sustained stretches and avoid bouncing/pulsing or over stretching. You will have high levels of the hormones relaxin and elastin running through your body which loosen ligaments and connective tissue therefore it is easy to over stretch, so be careful and controlled.

Pelvic floor or Kegel exercises

Are strongly recommended for everyone! These are great as they can be done anywhere at anytime! The pelvic floor supports the bladder, uterus, and intestines. Pregnancy can put pressure on this area stretching and weakening the muscles. This leads to the dreaded condition called incontinence. This condition can affect anyone; It is not a condition primarily prone to women who have had children, anyone can get it. So prevention is the best medicine.

Pelvic floor exercises or Kegels involve contracting and releasing the pelvic floor muscles, similarly to stopping the flow of urination. However you must not do it when you need to urinate, as this can potentially cause urinary tract infections.

What to do?

 You can either tighten and relax the muscle quickly or you can tighten and hold that contraction as long as you can, then release and contract and hold again etc.. Mix it up a bit! It is recommended to do these exercises for three minutes three times per day. Set up a reminder in your mind so you remember, for example I do my Kegels when I am stopped at traffic lights, I never forget!

Pelvic floor exercises should be done before, during, and after pregnancy religiously!

As the pregnancy progresses, reduce the intensity level. This tends to happen naturally. Remember that even if you are exercising less intensely, the actual level of what you are doing is more difficult, due to the added weight of the baby.

At about week 36 all exercise (with the exception of pelvic floor) should stop, it is nearly time for the big day!

Exercises to Avoid and General Cautions

• Conventional crunches and sit ups
• After week 12 avoid any overhead reaching or lifting exercises
• Contact sports
• Vigorous stretching
• Anything that involves lying on your back for longer than two minutes
• Anything that involves jolting, jarring or pounding movements
• Avoid raising your body temperature, e.g. no spas or saunas or exercising to the point of  heavy sweating
• Reduce exercise on hot or humid days

Although exercise during pregnancy is on the most part safe, moms-to-be should be aware of warning signs. If any of the following symptoms occur, immediately stop exercising and contact your doctor:

• Fatigue
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the abdomen, back or pelvis
• Dizziness
• Vaginal bleeding or fluid leakage
• Preterm labour
• Nausea or vomiting
• Numbness in any part of the body

Always consult your doctor before partaking in exercise to make sure your exercise routine won’t harm you or your unborn baby. Also, there are certain factors during some pregnancies where exercising during pregnancy is absolutely not recommended, so ALWAYS consult with your doctor before commencing.

About the fabulous author

Sian Murphy is a personal Trainer who has been in the fitness industry for many years and works in Adelaide at Fitness First, Payneham.

Her specialties include:

-Pre and Post Natal
-Weight loss and weight management
-Body sculpting
-Fitness and functional strength
-Wellness and nutrition
-Has a broad background in rehabilitation

Sian takes a different approach, it's not just the conventional PT-ing she looks at the way stress and other life factors may affect and hinder things such as wellness weight loss and puts together a plan to help combat these issues.

If you are interested in continued personal Training with Sian, you may contact her through her Fitness First Club at Payneham, South Australia (they will put you in contact with her). Just mention this article to Sian and recieve a complimentary Personal Training session.