Great, you guys are starting to get the hang of this question business. Please keep them coming!
Question 1
How much exercise is ok to do when you are pregnant?
This is pretty easy to work out. The answer is something similar to what you were doing before you became pregnant. As you progress you will find that you do need to reduce the intensity by about 10% each month or so, and go from contact type sports or risky exercises to safer options which don’t involve heavy weights and collisions. So instead of squatting with a free weight and a heavy weight at low reps, you might go to medium reps at a slightly lighter weight on the leg press. Or go for running and walking on the treadmill over playing squash or basketball. The other important thing to remember is your baby is affected by rises in temperature sooner than you are, so pay extra attention to keeping cool and avoid overheating. As you progress towards the end of your pregnancy you will find your back and other core muscles will become overworked more quickly, and you may need to adapt training to avoid overloading your lower back in particular. Examples of the things you would do might be: power walking instead of running, or sitting rather than standing for some of your exercises. Remember sudden changes in position will affect your blood pressure more easily, so again exercise may need to go from lying to sitting, then to standing, rather than just leaping up and feeling dizzy. But most importantly remember, it’s a good idea to remain fit or even get fit to handle labour better, so try to stay active without overdoing it.
Question 2
I’ve heard some where of HIV positive people being prescribed steroids. Is this true? And if so is it safe and do they help with physical fitness?
It is definitely true; though it does depend on your health care practitioner and your particular health issues. If steroids are prescribed they are usually very safe. Your doctor will take many different things into account and give you a few different ways of going about it to get the best results. If you have any muscle wasting or weight loss issues, steroids can definitely help. They also increase the body’s ability to recover from any activity or exercise. They are good for increasing energy levels and they are great for stimulating a poor appetite. They also speed up your cognitive processes and increase your sex drive. Many of these good points will greatly improve your physical fitness and general wellness, and the risks associated with steroid use will be minimized because you are taking them under supervision. If you have more energy, are eating better and putting on muscle you will find whatever exercise you are doing will get results much sooner. For most positive people prescribed steroids are very beneficial and the benefits far out way the risks.
Question 3
I work full time so is it better for me physiologically to train at the gym in the morning before work or in the evening after work?
From a purely physical point of view you will get the most benefit from working out in the morning when your muscles are well rested, your growth hormone levels are highest and you are less likely to have something come up that prevents you from making that training session. That all said, if you find you just can’t make yourself get up earlier to fit it in before work, hate working out in the mornings etc etc, then all the physiological benefits will be negated if you don’t train. So do your training when you can and when you want to, because that’s when you will train hardest and most regularly. And in the long run, training hard and consistently is what will get the best results.
Question 4
Can you be too old to start a physical fitness program? Can it be dangerous?
You are never too old to start a fitness program, but if you don’t do it in an appropriate way it can be dangerous. The first step is to get the go ahead from your doctor, then try to go through a qualified trainer if you can. Even if it’s just to set up your fitness program and get you started. The main thing to remember is to gradually increase the level of activity, if each time you exercise you go for a bit longer or add in another exercise or do a few more reps you won’t overdo things. The older you get, the more important it is to stay active, otherwise everything just seizes up from inactivity.
Do you have any fitness questions for Ingrid? Email them to editor@plwha.org.au [5] or write to “Ask Ingrid” PO. Box 831 Darlinghurst 1300