Swimming during Pregnancy
12/07/2010

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Swimming during pregnancy

Performing exercise during pregnancy can be uncomfortable at times so it's no wonder why so many women chose to swim during their pregnancy. The low impact, weightless environment is kind to someone who is late in their gestation, however its important not to get carried away at finding something so comfortable that is also good for mum and baby!

Like with any cardiovascular or resistance based exercise during pregnancy it remains important to monitor the intensity you are working at (see the article - “what intensity should I work at) but it is also important that you carefully consider the type of stroke you perform. We are noticing an increasing relationship between swimming and symphysis pubic dysfunction (SPD).

Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction

The symphysis pubis is the strong ligamtened joint that holds the bone at the front of the pelvis together helping to stabilize the hips and allowing free movement of the legs and lower body. During pregnancy the hormone called relaxing is released to help the body adapt to easier to pregnancy, in turn this also causes laxity in the ligaments and joints of the body. In terms of SPD, if the muscles and ligaments then get overstretched or overworked it can result in too much strain being put on the pelvis, causing pain. Symptoms include:

• hip, back or pelvic girdle pain

• a grinding or clicking sensation in your pubic area

• pain down the inside of your legs or between your legs

• increased pain at night

Swimming and SPD

Swimming in itself is not a bad exercise to perform during pregnancy, what can be detrimental is performing too much breast stroke. As with most types of swimming breast stoke requires action of the upper and lower body, its the action of the lower body, the kicking motion that can contribute to SPD. Therefore it is important to either alternate between front crawl and breast stroke, or hold a float in front of you and kick with your legs.

How can I avoid SPD?

It is important to note that not every woman gets it, it does depend on how often you swam before, how often you swim during your pregnancy, how strong you were before and are now and how much relaxin you have in your body. SPD can happen regardless of if you exercise or not, it can happen as early on as the first trimester, therefore the only thing you can do is try to minimise your chances of getting it by doing things like alternating your swimming action. Other things you may want to include are:

• Avoiding really wide movements

• Trying to keep your legs together as much as possible when getting into and out of the car

• Pelvic floor exercises

• Putting a pillow between your legs when you are sleeping

• Taking stairs one at a time

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