Scuba Diving While Pregnant?
QUESTION
Dear Fitness Expert,
I'm 6 weeks pregnant. I have been doing power yoga for the last 8 or 9 months. I know there is a question about it, but it talks about heated rooms, which is not my case. Can I go on with my power yoga lessons?
Also I was just about to start a scuba diving course when I found out I was pregnant, can I do it?Thank you, I will really appreciate your answer for I'm living in a very small island in the Pacific, and I don't have any expert at all to whom I can ask!
Thank you very much again,
Soledad
ANSWER
Dear Soledad,
Oh, I'm so jealous. It must be beautiful where you are.Sadly, you MUST NOT take scuba lessons. The main reason scuba is the number 1 "do not do" for an active pregnant woman is focused on the deep dives. Still, your breathing is limited and, under x-amount of water (pounds of pressure) this is not considered wise for you/baby. This is something you need to put off until after your baby is born. Sorry.
As far as the power yoga goes, yes, the heated room is a top concern. You must be sure that you inner core temperature does not exceed 101 degree F. Your baby is I Celsius hotter than you and has no sweating mechanism. For this reason, you have to watch the inner temperature in which your baby lives. (We have information about how to measure your inner core temperature). The other concern is that while your body moves along in pregnancy, your ligaments and joints will soften and shift. Power yoga is feared to do more damage than good for this reason.
However, I have many clients who do yoga while pregnant and swear by it. The key is -- stay cool, drink plenty of water, and do not push or force the moves too much. Think of this as a more relaxing period in your yoga training.Let us know what you decide. Good luck.
-- Alex
Alexandra Allred
Alexandra Allred is a former member of the US Women's Bobsled team, is an accomplished martial artist, and continues to teach kickboxing while juggling her career as a full-time writer and mother of three. She has interviewed hundreds of athletes, models, actresses, trainers, doctors, and health/fitness experts as she sought to find answers to her own questions about working out while pregnant, arranging breast-feeding around a training schedule, diet when pregnant and breastfeeding, and encouraging her whole family.
Alex is the author of ten books, including Atta Girl! A Celebration of Women in Sports and Entering the Mother Zone: Balancing Self, Health & Family. We're excited to have her on board!
