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Specific sports and pregnancy
Endurance sports after conception
There is no doubt that endurance athletes can continue engaging in their sport for as long as they feel able to, as long as there is regular and adequate prenatal care.
There is no evidence whatsoever that such sports activities will affect the course or progress of the pregnancy.
If such an athlete develops any of the pregnancy complications which can af
fect any
woman, then the appropriate advice will be given.
Studies carried out have shown that such athletes continue to be actively engaged
in their sport to well beyond the half-
Endurance athletes after delivery
Many such women go back to their sport several months after delivery. Normally there
is no noticeable effect on the performance level that they eventually achieve post-
Boxing and pregnancy
There are thousands of young women who have taken up boxing in the last two decades or so. Hundreds are serious professionals. The advice for women who box is to stop during the course of the pregnancy. There is no evidence that even the protective gear that is sometimes available is sufficient in eliminating the risk entirely.
Resuming exercise after the birth
If a woman has had a vaginal delivery without any problems, two weeks or thereabouts is a good enough interval to start aerobic exercise. There is no harm in starting a few days earlier with light exercise, if she feels like it.
Swimming after delivery
Swimming has special constraints. This is because of the inevitable vaginal discharge (lochia) that follows delivery and may continue for several weeks.
If using communal pools, one should avoid swimming until the discharge has stopped. This may take four to six weeks.
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Tennis star Lindsay Davenport came storming back, winning tournaments within a few months of having her baby son in June 2007