Benefits Of Brisk Walking on Pregnancy And Labour

When you are pregnant, the physical discomfort of pregnancy already makes you feel tired, moody and anxious. Walking around with your big belly probably sounds like the last thing you would want to do. But did you know that walking is beneficial for pregnancy as well as labour?

Benefits of Brisk Walking

1. It improves your physical fitness.

Walking during pregnancy helps you to stay fit and healthy. Walking is a full body workout which improves your cardiovascular health and tones your muscles. By taking regular walks, you can keep your pregnancy weight in check, and this can help make post-pregnancy weight loss easier.

2. Reduces your risk of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a condition whereby a woman without diabetes develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. It increases the risk of an overweight baby and pre-term birth. Women with gestational diabetes are also more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later on in life.

By walking and keeping active during pregnancy, you can reduce your risk of getting gestational diabetes.

3. Stress-relief

Increased levels of hormones in the body during pregnancy can lead to mood swings that swing from delight to depression. Any type of exercise, including walking, can release endorphins which are “feel-good” hormones. It can make you feel more energized and positive!

4. Improves blood circulation

Walking can help to increase blood circulation around the body. This helps to reduce the swelling of your feet and ankle during pregnancy. It also helps to improve the flow of blood to the baby.

5. Walking may make the labour process easier

Walking increases muscle strength and exercises the pelvic. This means that your hip muscles become more flexible, helping you to achieve a more efficient delivery.

6. Induce labour

Walking has been known to be a natural method of inducing labour. When you walk, the weight of your baby puts pressure on the cervix and encourages dilation. Walking also moves the baby further down the pelvis and prepares him/her to move through the birth canal during delivery.

While walking can help you to go into labour naturally, it has not been proven to speed up the process of delivery.

Tips to Make Walking Easier:

When you start walking, you may experience pelvic soreness in the beginning. Stretch regularly to relieve soreness and improve muscle flexibility.
Use a maternity belt to help support the weight of your baby when walking, and to improve your posture.
Bring along a water bottle to stay hydrated and to prevent your body from overheating.
Walk in cool environments (e.g. walking at a park in the evening)
Walk with your partner, a family member or a friend to stay motivated (and safe in case of any accidents)
You can split up your walking sessions or decrease the length of each session if you feel especially tired on that day.

Precautions:

Walk at a comfortable pace and do not push yourself too hard. If you experience any discomfort or fatigue, you should stop and rest.
Walk in cool environments as pregnant women have higher body temperatures and may feel hot more easily.
Your posture is very important, especially during pregnancy. Remember to keep your back straight, look ahead and tuck your hips under your shoulders to avoid a curved back.
Do not walk on rocky, uneven or dark places as you may lose your balance and fall.

You should consult your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms when walking:

Persistent back pain or pelvin pain while walking
Breathlessness, exhaustion, blurred vision, vaginal bleeding, fainting, contractions, chest pain, amniotic fluid leakage

Sources:

Barbie Carpenter. (2011, August 24). Does Walking Speed Up Labor? Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/525410-does-walking-speed-up-labor/

Bloom S. L, McIntire D. D, Kelly M. A, Beimer H. L, Burpo R. H, Garcia M. A. Lack of effect of walking. The New England Journal of Medicine. 1998;339(2):117–118. et al