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Bed Rest Fitness

Keeping Fit Mentally and Physically While on Bed Rest

By Catherine Cram

Pregnancy is a time of great anticipation and excitement, so when complications occur they can impact a woman's physical and emotional health tremendously. For some women with complications bed rest is prescribed. The bed rest prescription can vary depending on the condition, with some women allowed to move about to the bathroom and kitchen for shorts periods of time, or allowed to sit up in bed or a semi-recumbent position to total activity restriction on a left side-lying position.

Bed rest may be medically necessary, but there are problems that can occur as a result of sustained inactivity. The extent of the problems that can occur increase with greater restrictions of movement and may include the following:

• Muscle weakness and increased back pain.
• Increased heartburn, constipation and nausea.
• Insomnia and poor sleep quality.
• Depression, increased anxiety and inability to cope with stress.
• Decreased concentration and mental acuity.

It is only natural that a woman on bed rest would develop some discomfort as a result, but it's not inevitable that you'll experience these conditions. In fact, there are many ways for you to continue to keep your body and mind functioning properly and even find that you can put this "down time" to good use.

First and foremost, get in touch with other women who are on bed rest or have experienced it in the past. They can help you find ways to cope and offer a connection to the outside world.

One of the biggest problems women experience when on bed rest is physical discomfort resulting from inactivity or having to remain in a side-lying position for long periods of time. Our bodies need to move in order to keep functioning properly. Depending upon what restrictions you may have, there are several ways to keep your body from developing muscle and joint discomfort.

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Surviving Pregnancy Bed Rest: Tips to Turn Boredom into Family Bonding
• A Better Bed Rest: Tips and Advice for Surviving Pregnancy Downtime
• The Bed Rest Blues: Moms Share Their Tips on How to Survive
• Talk about it!