- Exercising during pregnancy has many benefits to the expectant mother as well as the unborn baby. Exercise helps the mother maintain a healthy weight during the pregnancy, which may make it easier to lose the weight after the baby is born. Regular exercise can also help the body maintain healthy blood pressure and sugar levels, which have a tendency to increase during pregnancy. Regular exercise during pregnancy can also increase circulation to the limbs, reduce stress levels and increase overall energy levels.
- Before starting any exercise routine you should always get the go-ahead from your doctor, especially if you are pregnant. Your doctor will want to make sure that there are no complications with the pregnancy that would make exercise unsafe for you or your baby. If you are someone who is normally physically active and you exercise on a normal basis, then you should be given the green light from your doctor to continue low-impact, moderate exercise during your pregnancy.
If you exercised regularly before the pregnancy, you should be able to continue without any problems. However, with each trimester the intensity of the exercise should decrease to a more moderate level. If you were inactive before becoming pregnant, the best way to start a pregnancy exercise plan is to start slowly and stay with a low-impact, moderate form of exercise such as walking or swimming. Make sure that you are exercising on stable, even, non-slip surfaces to reduce the chances of injury. Stay out of excessive heat or cold and make sure that you have plenty of water to drink during and after the workout. - The key to safe exercise during pregnancy is making sure that you are doing low-impact, moderate activities. The best forms of exercise for pregnant women are walking, swimming, low-impact aerobics and prenatal yoga. All of these provide a strong cardiovascular workout without jarring joints or muscles.
Prenatal yoga tones muscles and improves balance while teaching breathing techniques that may be beneficial during labor and delivery.
Low-impact aerobics provides a great cardiovascular workout without the jumping, kicking or running that is usually experienced in high-impact classes.
Walking and swimming are the easiest and less stressful exercises to the body while pregnant. They work the large muscle groups and help the body build endurance, which will be needed during the pregnancy and through labor and delivery.
If you experience excessive fatigue, headache, dizziness or nausea, it is time to stop. Your body is telling you it needs a break. Consult your physician if you experience abdominal cramping, fainting, vomiting or bleeding. These could be symptoms of serious complications to the pregnancy and should be immediately addressed with your physician.
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