Exercises » Hormones & Exercise
As women hormones have a major influence in our life and more than ever in pregnancy!
They sweep around our body acting as chemical messengers to bring about both miraculous physical and emotional change
During pregnancy hormones flood through our bodies and can cause a whole range of varied effects from emotional mood swings to physical nausea. By understanding their main effects on your body you can see how they influence primarily your pregnancy and motherhood, yet also your posture, movement and exercise options
The 3 main pregnancy hormones are relaxin, oestrogen & progesterone so here's the science bit ......
First is Relaxin
Relaxin was 'designed' to widen the the outlet of the pelvis by relaxing the ligaments which wrap around and secure its stability.
The design was an attempt to make the pelvic outlet bigger and therefore childbirth easier! Although a miraculous idea, the 'design' was a little flawed and relaxin cannot contain its effect to only the pelvis, but it affects every ligament and connective tissue in your entire body from your thumb joints to your hips!
- Relaxin softens the connective tissue by increasing the water content in fibres, thereby making the ligaments and tendons more elastic. Basically you are ‘bendier’ and this can add tension and damage your joints if you overstretch them. Be careful not to push your stretches to the extreme. Hold the stretch to a comfortable level and allow the muscle to release slowly and gently.
- Relaxin helps widen your pelvis for delivery but it also affects the stability and balance of your pelvis. Perfect posture is essential. Keep your hips equal, level and stable.
- It softens the abdominal muscles to cope with the growing size of your tummy and relaxes your pelvic floor muscles. Regular pelvic floor and suitable core stability exercises will strengthen these muscles. See pelvic floor exercises for more details.
- The effect of relaxin on the intercostal ligaments between your ribs enables your ribs to expand outwards to compensate for the internal pressure on your diaphragm. Breathe in full and wide when exercising.
- In the third trimester relaxin production goes into overdrive to prepare for labour. Relaxin levels are even higher in multiple births and subsequent pregnancies.
- After delivery the hormone continues to have a 'relaxing' effect on your muscles and joints. This effect can last for quite a few months. However, if you are breast feeding relaxin stays in the system for longer ( although the effect will not be quite so intense) until you stop breastfeeding. So therefore, attention to stretching gently and consevatively should be continued into the post natal period
Next is Oestrogen
- It is the major growth hormone.
- Oestrogen promotes the left ventricle muscle in your hjeart to grow in size and strength by about 20% to accommodate the extra blood flow. This alters your resting heart rate and makes assessing your training intensity by pulse rate alone unreliable. Refer to the Intensity scale
- It promotes the growth of your uterus, breasts and breast milk production. In your 3rd Trimester you may experience some early leakage of milk, which is quite normal. Wear breast pads inside a supportive bra when exercising for your comfort.
- It increases your metabolic rate and encourages fluid retention.Some women experience numbness in their hands due to fluid retention. Take care if using free hand weights in your exercise program and see carpel tunnel syndrome if you are experiencing pain in your wrists
Finally Progesterone
- It relaxes all smooth muscle in the body
- The walls of your blood vessels are smooth muscle and they relax and widen to accommodate the extra blood volume (which increases by a whopping 12-13 pints). So if the vessel walls didn't widen then your blood pressure would go sky high with the extra bllod volume circulating
- Also due to gravity (and relaxed blood vessels in the legs) the blood pools in your lower body which can make you feel lightheaded and dizzy.Therefore during exercise try to keep moving and generally avoid standing still for long periods.
- It also affects the smooth muscle of the oesophagus and intestines which is why you are more prone to indigestion and haemorrhoids. Charming hormone! Movements where your head is held lower than your hips for a prologed time may exaccerbate your heartburn such a yoga 'downward dog'
- Progesterone also increases your core body temperature
- It increases your sensitivity to carbon dioxide which is why you seem to get breathless quicker in early pregnancy and not because you are suddenly so unfit