Pregnancy in general means giving up the things you love like a good night’s sleep. Now there is a disturbing question: is it possible to continue cycling in this era? Or should we add cycling to the prohibited list of this era?

With the help of medical specialists, you can continue cycling during pregnancy. In this report, we will show you how you can do this.

Dr. Aimee Layton, a clinical exercise physiologist at Columbia University Medical Center and a member of the CityMD Women’s Cycling Team, has an explanation for this.

“No researcher has ever pushed a group of pregnant women above their anaerobic threshold to study what exercise is harmful to the fetus,” says Layton, who continued cycling before and after giving birth last year. This is not something that is approved by society. “Doctors advise their patients not to let their heart rate go above 145, but there is no empirical evidence to confirm what is safe and what is not.”

How should expectant mothers who ride bicycles deal with cranky doctors and continue their activities without putting themselves or their children at risk?

Although they cannot be considered as hard and fast rules, below we mention five of the most important and well-reasoned tips for safe cycling during pregnancy.

Find a sports-minded gynecologist

If your doctor also prioritizes exercise and fitness, he will understand your goals and needs better.

Rebeccah Wassner, professional triathlete and three-time New York triathlon champion, says, “The first thing you should do during your pregnancy is find a doctor who is an athlete himself.

Dr. Gloria Cohen, a sports medicine specialist at the New Mexico Orthopedic Center and former team physician for the Canadian Olympic and National Cycling Teams, says, “While it’s important to find someone who fits your needs and personality, most OB-GYNs now focus on the benefits of exercise. They have awareness. “They know that regular physical activity helps with weight management, reduces the risk of gestational diabetes, and is good for your mental health.” He also points to an article from Penn State University about the mental health benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity before childbirth.

Pay more attention to your body’s warning signs

On a hot summer day, sensations such as unusual breathing, palpitations, and an audible pounding of my heart inside my chest can lead you to potentially serious problems.

If you don’t take care of your health, you can easily get into trouble, says Wassner. He emphasizes on proper nutrition and maintaining extra hydration to the body during exercise, because water is the key to help deliver blood cells rich in nutrients to the fetus.

Do not compare yourself with others

“The best advice I can give is to listen to your body,” says Wassner. “You should never get caught up in what others are doing.” Just because another woman in your cycling group was still using the lower end of the handlebars by, say, 30 weeks, doesn’t mean you have to do the same.

The number one priority is to have a healthy child. You don’t have to move in sync with everyone else.”

Continuous regulation of exercise program and riding method during pregnancy

In the sixth month, say goodbye to the last group exercises so that you can plan your routes and methods. It’s time to be more careful.

Cohen says that in the early stages of pregnancy (about the first 9 weeks), the fetus is an embryo that is protected by the bony pelvic cavity, “but as the uterus grows, the possibility of damage to the fetus increases.” As the mother’s belly gets bigger, her center of gravity also changes. Cohen says: “Diagnosing this issue is important to prevent falls. If a mother feels unbalanced on a bicycle, she should not ride it until the necessary adjustments are made to adjust the bicycle.

With the increase of the belly bulge in the second trimester, the holding arm (crepe) reverses the steering wheel and brings the steering wheel a lot higher to create more space for the belly and to change gears more easily.

Mellisa Davies, author of Bike Pretty, who has experienced cycling while pregnant, says: “My plan was to continue cycling until the day I gave birth, but as you learn during pregnancy, your body has a different opinion. At the beginning of the eighth month of pregnancy, I felt that I had become huge and that I was too heavy to move. “I tried to stay active as long as possible, but during the last three weeks I could hardly leave the house.”

Although my sense of balance was normal and riding a bike was still easier than walking like a duck to different places, but continuing to ride seemed like an unnecessary risk. Cohen says: “It’s okay to continue cardiovascular exercise in late pregnancy, but I suggest you do it more on a stationary exercise bike to avoid a lot of unknown events down the road.”

“Continued exercise is beneficial for promoting circulation, which in itself is vital to maintaining optimal baby health,” says Layton, who continued strength training throughout her pregnancy and worked out at the weight gym until the seventh month. He had drastically reduced the number of repetitions of his movements to avoid putting extra pressure on his abdomen. He also refrained from overdoing the exercises because this could divert the blood flow from the uterus to the muscles (not to mention the possibility of premature birth). “I’ve been working to stay fit with light weights and high reps,” says Layton. Also, I used machines that put less pressure than free weights.”

Be patient with your exercise routine after giving birth

Cohen says: “Each person has to set the tone of this process when coming back from pregnancy. I recommend rest days which are very personal depending on the individual’s fitness level and type of pregnancy. A short leisurely walk can be a day of rest for some, but for others a day of rest means inactivity. As for the details, you can sit on a sofa and organize a program. Do counter exercises and slowly return your legs to the previous exercise on the stationary bike. Remember postpartum care; If you breastfeed your child, do you have adequate hydration and proper breast support? What kind of birth did you have? Finally, get instructions from your doctor before starting the exercises.