Pregnancy can be a physical challenge alone; though exercising while pregnant will keep you fit, you need to be aware of how much exercise to perform and when to refrain from doing it.

You can certainly benefit from exercising to alleviate stress, enhance posture, keep strength and fitness that will help you deal with pregnancy weight gain, and sustain stamina for the long hours of labor. Staying active may also allow you to get back pre-pregnancy levels of fitness after giving birth.

Never let your pregnancy an excuse of not exercising.  Photo Credit: www.pregnancypregnant.org

Never let your pregnancy an excuse of not exercising.
Photo Credit: www.pregnancypregnant.org

Below are some safety tips designed to keep you safe, active and healthy during your pregnancy.

Check Out Prenatal Exercise Classes

Some hospitals and gyms have exercise classes specifically intended for women that are pregnant. These classes strive to meet the physical needs of expectant mothers by integrating the perfect balance of cardio exercise, flexibility and weight training exercises.

On top of that, the exercises you’ll participate in these kinds of fitness classes are modified to adjust to the new restrictions of the body like loss of balance, reduced stamina, shifting the center of gravity and improved joint looseness.

Stay Well-Hydrated

Pregnant or not, you should always drink lots of water while you exercise to be able to prevent dehydration, diet plateaus and overheating.

Nevertheless, if you’re pregnant, it’s much more crucial that you stay well-hydrated due to the fact that dehydration is the primary reason for cramps, particularly leg cramps. Dehydration may also result in elevated heart rate and blood pressure.

However, most worrying is that pregnancy puts a lot of stress on your kidneys. The stress of childbearing, along with the stress of dehydration could be harmful to you kidney’s health and that of your unborn baby.

Regularly Stretch

Regular stretching is among the best ways to deal with the pains and aches that are a usual part of childbearing. Regular stretching achieves this task by battling muscle tightness, particularly tightness within the thighs that could mess up your posture and result in back discomfort and pelvic joints pain.

Nevertheless, never stretch too much. As pregnancy hormones make your joints, in particular your pelvic joints, to get loose than normal. Thus, it’s not hard for women that are pregnant to dislocate important joints by incorrect stretching.

The best way to stretch your muscles properly, by low-impact methods created for the pregnant body, would be to enroll in a prenatal Yoga class.

Include Low-Impact Workouts

Low-impact workouts like walking, water aerobics, Yoga, swimming and Tai-chi are perfect exercises for expectant mothers. These workouts are good for your joints and will help you keep your balance, flexibility, muscle mass and core strength during your pregnancy.

On top of that, these low-impact workouts might help boost your mood and reduce your weight gain throughout pregnancy without having to put an added stress on your heart.

Include Exercise Balls

An exercise ball could be a pregnant woman’s best buddy. Several floor exercises could be safely adjusted to meet the need of an expectant mother utilizing a stability ball. Expectant mothers may also make use of stability balls to keep their balance, stability, as well as, core strength.

But, above all, pregnant women can make use of exercise balls in order to stretch out their lower backs and thus help reduce back discomfort.

Keep Track Of Your Heart Rate

If you’re an active person, among the best things that you can do for you and your baby would be to stay active during your pregnancy.

On the other hand, since pregnancy puts a lot of stress on your heart, you should carefully monitor your heart rate while you exercise. Your doctor will help you establish the ideal heart rate after your doctor decides if you’re fit enough to exercise while pregnant.

Here’s the article from onlymyhealth.com on why it is important to exercise particularly on your first trimester of your pregnancy.

Why You Should Exercise During The First Trimester Of Pregnancy

[quote style=”boxed”]For women who have been exercising since a long time, it can be a problem to suddenly stop for the sake of pregnancy. Matter of fact, you must be the happiest during this phase of your life and if you give away that one thing that makes you feel good, you are bound to feel worse with each passing day. Yes, we understand that exercising during the first trimester of pregnancy will present several challenges because you are unusually tired, extremely nauseous and super scared to even move a little because that will seem like a threat to your baby. But, all of this can be overcome with just a bit of exercising.[/quote]

The first trimester of pregnancy is basically the most crucial; therefore, you have to carry out only manageable and tolerated exercise throughout pregnancy. Do not perform workout routines that require you to lie on your back. Mainly because the weight of your baby might affect the proper circulation of blood. Moreover, refrain from exercises that will require long standing. Never let your pregnancy an excuse of not exercising.

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