Pregnancy and Long Fist/White Crane question

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Pregnancy and Long Fist/White Crane question

Postby Annekebear » Thu May 05, 2011 2:11 am

I am not sure if this is the correct forum for this, but I hope you will be able to answer my questions.

I have been following Long Fist/White Crane lessons 3-4 times per week for about 1.5 years now together with my husband. Now we have decided to hopefully expand our family, and with that decision I am wondering if it is OK to continue practicing during the pregnancy? I would find it a pity not to be able to continue practicing for such a long time, but the well being of my baby is of course most important to me.

I am of course aware of the fact that punches or kicks to the belly region are out of the question, as well as being thrown on the ground. But are there other things that should be avoided?

Have you had any pregnant women attend classes? What did they avoid/How did they perform training?
Do you know what Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming's standpoints are in this question?

I would appreciate any feedback I would receive on this very much :)
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Postby Inga » Thu May 05, 2011 9:36 pm

Well I'm not a doctor, and I presume you would check with your doctor, but one thing I remember from my pregnancies is that so long as you are keeping to what is "normal" for you, continuing to train should be fine.

Having said that, of course you make good points about being careful. I asked my instructor, and he points out that white crane power is generated from the waist, so take care. Also he says that jumping can cause stress on the core, and there is always the additional risk of falling. You shouldn't hold pads for anyone.

I have to say if I fell pregnant I would continue to train, in part because it's such a big part of my life, but also because I would want to stay fit and keep up my progress. I would go to the acupuncturist who trains with us, he would understand my routine and know what the right thing to do was. If you are in the Boston area, message me ([email protected]) and I'll put you in touch with him.

If you wish to seek the advice of Master Yang, he can be contacted through the Retreat Centre site :

http://ymaa-retreatcenter.org/about/dr_yang

Best wishes on your training and on expanding your family : )
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Postby yat_chum » Sat May 07, 2011 2:18 am

The subject of training while pregnant has come up a few times on a capoeira forum I frequent. You might find this useful.

Doing sports during pregnancy is a small must. However, the condition requires adjustments on the practicing or change of the type of sport being practiced.

The sport should not endanger you or the baby by no means. Some things can be practiced fairly safely during the first 3 months of the pregnancy, however a lot of women experience frequent nausea during this period and are generally weak, which may interfere with the sports. The best sports during pregnancy are considered running, swimming, pilates and yoga. All of them adjusted for the pregnant women. If you would like to practice something else, then you should consider the following things:
1. First and foremost you should consult your personal doctor, pediatrician or whatever responsible medical authority is considered appropriate in your country. They can give you additional advices, based on your general health condition.
2. No pushing, falling, bumping, heavy jumping (especially in the late months, when the belly is heavy and grown). No heavy weights lifting. No jerky (sudden) movements.
3. Your heart rate changes during pregnancy. Whatever you do, you should keep your heart rate during the exercises on moderate level. You should never loose your breath, i.e. your exercise should be such that if you have to stop suddenly for a talk, you don’t need to catch your breath beforehand.
4. Avoid overheating your body. It endangers the baby. Have a lot of drinking water with you.
5. The body releases “relaxin” which makes your joints more flexible. No hard stretching during pregnancy, because you run into danger of injuring yourself permanently.
6. Stop with the sit-ups when the abdominal muscles divide.
7. With the belly growing the centre of balance shifts. The possibility of falling increases.
8. Use good bra and pregnancy shawl to support for your belly.

After all those general remarks, you can decide by yourself how to practice capoeira during pregnancy. Indeed practicing with a partner imposes danger of falling of being accidentally kicked. Yet with a partner you can practice movimentacao.
Au-s and all positions close to ground will become difficult with the progress of the pregnancy. Twisting knee joints will become questionable at certain point (for example armada imposes danger of overtwisting the supporting knee and loosing your balance).
Consider practicing the kicks but without force. Concentrate on technique and “tai-chi” like movements. For the latter, capoeira angola scores above regional (contemporanea)*.

You should stop doing whatever you exercise if
1. You feel sudden sickness and nausea;
2. You feel pain, especially in the belly;
3. Your heart rate increases too much;
4. You feel headache;
5. You experience bleeding.
6. Whatsoever that makes you feel bad and uncomfortable.


Enjoy the nine months. Be healthy and share with us your experience :).
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