Staying active during pregnancy is generally advised by most health professionals and can include various exercise methods such as walking, running, or circuit classes. However, can too much walking during pregnancy cause cramping?
Too much walking during pregnancy can lead to severe cramps due to the inflammation of muscles and the weight of the baby moving around in your uterus. This is common as your bodys msucles and ligaments are stretched out to accommodate the babys growing size.
This article will discuss whether or not too much walking will cause severe cramps during pregnancy. So keep reading! We have everything you need to know about whether or not walking will cause cramping during your pregnancy.
What Happens If You Walk Too Much During Pregnancy?
It’s relatively common knowledge that staying as active as you can during your pregnancy is great for your health and that of your baby so long as you feel comfortable doing it. Exercise is not considered dangerous for the baby, and being able to get outside for a walk or run has numerous health benefits.
However, when pregnant, it can be easy to overdo various things and, in turn, can have minor side effects on your health and, ultimately, your baby’s health. One of these is too much walking, which can lead to inflammation and stress on your body and even severe cramps.
You’ll feel much more pressure on the body if you overdo the walking when pregnant, leading to severe cramping as the baby bounces around inside your belly. While lying down on your side can ease the discomfort momentarily, you should get in touch with your doctor if the symptoms worsen.
Walking too much during pregnancy has also been shown to lead to shortness of breath and even pain throughout the various joints and muscles of the legs and body. So, ensure you’re never overdoing it, as 30 minutes per day is typically enough for most women.
Tips For Walking When Pregnant
To avoid severe cramps and other minor health problems as you exercise during pregnancy, you can follow a few basic tips. As a general rule, ensure you can hold a conversation during your walk; if not, you’re probably walking too much or too vigorously.
If you didn’t go for long walks when you were not pregnant, start with low-intensity walks and slowly work the intensity up each day but ensure that you don’t overdo it. Before each walk, have a small warm-up and cool down afterward with basic stretches.
During your exercise, ensure that you take your water bottle with you to stay well hydrated and avoid going for walks in the hottest part of the day. Following these simple tips will reduce the risk of overdoing it and your chance of severe cramps.
Why Does My Uterus Hurt When I Walk During Pregnancy?
If you enjoy walking while pregnant, it can be an excellent way to get your daily exercise and fresh air. However, various women begin to notice that their uterus hurts during longer walks and question if there’s a problem.
There is a fairly simple reason behind your uterus hurting when you’re pregnant; inflammation and pain caused by the excessive movement of your joints during pregnancy will lead to the pain you’re experiencing around your uterus. This is known as symphysis pubis dysfunction.
Major symptoms that arise from pubic symphysis dysfunction include pain at the front of the pelvic girdle, but numerous women also complain about pain in their legs, back, and abdominal area.
Growth spurts of the baby growing inside you and pressure from the baby’s weight can become very painful inside the uterus if you exercise too much during pregnancy. This is one of the major reasons behind keeping your walking light and trying to ensure you don’t overdo it.
Many women who suffer from pain in the uterus during pregnancy often respond well to physical therapy. The various treatments include strength and stabilization exercises, postural exercises, pelvic floor exercises, and education on how to minimize uterus pain during walking and daily activities.
How Many Hours Per Day Should A Pregnant Woman Walk?
When deciding on how much walking you should do per day, it’s best to keep in mind that everyone is different in this regard, and depending on how much you exercised before pregnancy will help you decide how much is enough.
Various health professionals would advise the average woman to start with five or ten minutes of walking per day and add an additional five minutes per week until you reach 30 minutes per week. Walking is an excellent exercise for pregnant women and can have numerous health benefits for both the mother and the fetus.
However, what should be kept in mind is the various guidelines we have laid out in this article; ensure that you can still hold a conversation during your walk, don’t walk until your body begins to hurt, and if you feel any pain or inflammation, ensure that you seek out medical advice.
Final Thoughts
Pregnancy is a very exciting, yet stressful time for many expecting mothers. During this special period, it’s important to understand how certain activities can affect the health of both mom and baby. One common activity during pregnancy is walking which has been believed to benefit those who are expecting by helping with weight management and better circulation. But can walking too much actually lead to cramping?
There is not enough research currently available to fully understand the cause and effect relationship between exercising during pregnancy, such as walking, and cramping. However, some experts suggest that walking too much may put added strain on joints and muscles which could lead to cramps in pregnant women. It’s important for expectant mothers to be aware of their bodies capabilities when it comes to physical activity so they can better manage issues like cramping or other adverse effects from exercise during pregnancy.