6Imagine running a forty-week marathon. Well, researchers studying human endurance in runners and mothers-to-be have found that pregnancy is just that! A recent study found that pregnant women share a lot of similarities with endurance athletes! The study analyzed elite athletes from demanding sports like the 3,000-mile Race Across the USA, during which runners complete six-marathons a week for 4 months.
Researchers studied the basic metabolic rate of the athletes to determine the minimum amount of calories they needed in order to function. The maximum, for the athletes studied, was 2.5 times the person’s BMR which equals 4,000 calories a day for an average adult.
Pregnant Women function at 2.2 times their BMR – On-par with Elite Athletes
In order to meet the biological needs of pregnancy expectant mothers must put their bodies through rigorous metabolic changes for around 270 days. While the human body was designed for the process, it is nevertheless demanding and can lead to physical and emotional stress. Additionally, many women lead busy lives and continue to work throughout their pregnancies. Balancing these responsibilities while juggling the physical changes of pregnancy can lead to additional forms of stress.
Doctor’s Recommend Reducing Stress During Pregnancy
We try to stay calm during pregnancy. We talk to the baby, play Mozart for the baby, take the right vitamins, and eat the right food. We know that what happens on the outside also affects the baby on the inside. It’s one of the reasons doctors recommend reducing or limiting stress during your pregnancy. Stress often manifests as tension in the muscles. As women’s bodies grow, the added weight can also cause discomfort, difficulty sleeping, and soreness. Fortunately, massage can help to release muscle tension and increase circulation to treat discomfort caused by the pregnancy.
If Stress Can Lead to Injury in Elite Athletes Why Would you Risk the Effects of Stress During your Pregnancy?
There is a tiny window between stress and injury. When elite athletes ignore stress it can lead to serious injuries. Athletes are taught to pay attention to their bodies and pregnant women should adopt the same philosophy. Stress typically begins as an emotional reaction or a general sense of being overwhelmed, but it can quickly lead to physical symptoms. Pregnant women often If they get help before the stress grows into the ogre that is injury, their window to safety, better health, and relief from tension, sore muscles, and general worry is massage therapy.
Prenatal Massage Therapy has many benefits, and while some are obvious, some of those benefits help to regulate the body that is nurturing both you and the baby in ways that could surprise you!
It Is Very Important to Find the Right Prenatal Massage Therapist
Remember how carefully you considered which doctor would be with you in the delivery room? It is also important to find the right prenatal massage therapist. And if you’re in the greater Chicago-area, you’re in luck! Therapeutic Kneads has just the right, certified therapist for you!
At Therapeutic Kneads, Your Prenatal Massage will:
- Reduce Anxiety – You have enough on your mind!
- Decrease Symptoms of Depression – You want to be as peaceful as possible!
- Relieve Aches and Pains – How is that lower back? Ready for some help?
- Relieve Joint Pain – Those knees, hips, and elbows are takin’ it on the chin, right?
- Improve Labor Outcomes – This is the GOLD STAR of prenatal massage therapy!
- Improve Newborn Health – Having a happy, healthy baby is your #1 priority.
Not all massage therapists are trained to perform this special type of massage. For your safety and the safety of your baby, it is essential that you work with a therapist who is certified. You should also discuss a Prenatal massage with your doctor to make sure that it is safe for you and your pregnancy. Here are some common Do’s and Don’ts for Prenatal Massage that may help you assess your risk factors.
Prenatal Massage Relieves Stress
Did you know that prenatal massage therapy can help to balance hormone levels during pregnancy? When stress is lessened, those mood swings can find a happier balance, and cardiovascular health is improved. Stress sometimes causes those nasty norepinephrine and cortisol levels to go up. But prenatal massage can help to lower those and to raise your body’s dopamine and serotonin levels. Keeping those hormones balanced can lead to an easier birth, and keep your baby safer from challenges such as low birth weight.
Prenatal Massage Therapy can Reduce Inflammation and Swelling
Your blood circulation can be affected during pregnancy, and pressure can be placed on the major blood vessels. This causes those swollen joints, and prenatal massage therapy can stimulate those soft tissues and help some of that trapped fluid to slip away.
Most massage therapists receive training in pregnancy massage but this isn’t the same thing as a certification. All of the Prenatal Massage Therapy at Therapeutic Kneads is delivered by a Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist. We have the right massage tables and know exactly what questions to ask you before beginning your treatment. Our therapists know what to watch for during the massage, keeping you and your baby safe and comfortable.
A Prenatal Massage at Therapeutic Kneads will:
- Help to reduce that nagging back pain
- Help relieve the pressure on your joints
- Improve your circulation
- Reduce those headaches
- Improve oxygenation of the soft tissues and muscles
…and you know what else?
MASSAGE PROMOTES BETTER SLEEP!
You better sleep while you can, Mama!