Is exercise a morning sickness cure?

With news of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy and subsequent chronic morning sickness, cures for this pregnancy symptom are in the spotlight. While the wife of Prince William has had a severe case of morning sickness which has meant hospital treatment, can exercise help to alleviate some of the pain and nausea?

The general medical consensus seems to be that light exercise can help reduce the symptoms of morning sickness. Not only that but pregnant moms-to-be who keep active can maintain their fitness levels and make sure they’re healthy when carrying excess weight with their babies too. Most women experience varying degrees of nausea and vomiting in the first trimester, and many suffer throughout their pregnancy. In actual fact morning sickness per se is thought to be a good indicator of a healthy pregnancy, however unpleasant for the expectant mother.

While exercise is great, exercise during pregnancy needs to be done with caution in mind. Here are a few points to consider before jumping on the exercise bike or treadmill with your baby bump:

Listen to your body – Never has there been a time to be more connected then when you are helping nurture another life. Ensure that the exercise you do really allows you to continuously sense what you are feeling and where you are going with it.

Seek medical advice – As soon as a woman is pregnant she is bombarded with information, misinformation and downright bizarre facts about what is advisable and not advisable throughout pregnancy. Asking medical, as well as health and fitness experts about an exercise program before embarking on it is a sensible decision.

You can exercise – If you’ve been given the go-ahead to exercise then the recommended amount is 30 minutes a day and this should be light exercise with your heartbeat staying under 140 beats a minute. Prenatal and post pregnancy workouts have to be dropped or adapted during these critical nine months.

Stop if you feel unwell – All people who exercise are given the advice that if they start to feel sick and dizzy, or weak then they need to stop what they are doing. Pregnant women who are using exercise to minimize morning sickness don’t want to end up feeling sicker by overdoing physical activities.

Keeping it cool – Exercising in hot weather or becoming overheated in a space that isn’t well ventilated is not the best idea when pregnant. Too much body heat can have a negative impact on the pregnancy and it’s best to keep hydrated and regulate the temperature outside as well as inside.

As exercise can help lift your mood and strengthen your muscles, it is of real benefit to women with a bump. It’s understandable that a bad bout of morning sickness, which doesn’t necessarily strike in the morning but can last all day, does not inspire you to exercise. However, there may be a fitness plan that helps get you through the physical changes and developments if you’re pregnant, so contact us and we can offer the right support.