Congratulations on one of the most beautiful journeys of your life. However, on the back of your mind, there is anxiety regarding being fit during these nine months, not to gain too much weight and many such things. Trust me, you’re not alone. These issues concern most of the expectant mothers out there. But, it’s not something you should lose any sleep on. A little effort and awareness in undertaking some kind of physical activity or exercise are needed to counter these anxieties.
It was reported that:
“In a key scientific study, Clapp and Capeless (1990) found that pregnant women who continued a program of moderate-to-high intensity exercise experienced a 300–500-gram reduction in birth weight compared to sedentary controls or women who reduced their prenatal PA.”
However, your main perspective, focus, the goal should be not to lose weight while exercising during pregnancy, but to have a healthy nine months, stay fit, have mental and physical control, overall positive attitude, increased flexibility, and stronger muscles, to help you cope with every step a little better, every day, week and month, before, during and after your pregnancy, labor, and delivery (even after and through recovery)! There are lots that can be done to prepare best/better, more, faster, for labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery.
Exercise during pregnancy can alleviate stress, symptoms, physical challenges, and obstacles, associated with pregnancy, such as sciatica, fatigue, swelling, and aiding digestion. The real value of these types of regular exercise, fitness and activity priorities, even pre-natal classes uplift and inspire you to deeply connect with yourself, be aware of your pregnant body, be in touch with the developing new life and baby growing inside and overall prepares yourself for this new journey and phase of life.
There are many benefits, risks and rewards, safety precautions, and measures to take, types of activities to indulge, and partake in to reap full promise, potential, and opportunity. It is of the utmost importance that you as an expectant mom never over-exert yourself, or put your body or baby at risk.
Consult with your doctor, physiotherapist, or health care professional ensuring that any of the exercise routines and workouts, types of activities that you have selected or chosen from, enjoy, want to pursue, won’t cause harm to you or your unborn baby.
Endorphins are wonderful natural substances in the body that makes any workout a useful and significant experience, a benefit to the body. You need to, however, partake and commit to doing it regularly, as many times as 3-4 times per week. Goals, variety, fun type activities are more likely easier to get done, if you do things that you have an affinity for, interest in, and enjoy!
Stay focused and use all aspects of the different combinations, activities, hobbies, sports, routines that you are involved in, to get the best, optimal benefit from it. Working with a trainer or doing it yourself, there are many options. The choice is yours.
First and foremost if you have any underlying health conditions, issues, concerns, disease, or problems, rather refrain and abstain from rigorous activity that can place you and/or baby at increased risk. That defeats the purpose and outweighs the benefits.
If you are aware of any orthopedic problems, special needs, high risk, complications type pregnancy, blood sugar issues, heart disease, breathing type illness, low or high blood pressure, multiple fetuses, have a history or an increased risk of premature labor, preeclampsia or heart disease, you may have to consult with both your doctor and/or the fitness expert/instructor before the class or any type of activity when you are pregnant.
Do not assume anything. Make sure if it is safe, evaluate the benefits and weigh the risk/reward scale, before starting a new or any regimen.
Go at your individual, preferred, and personal ability, pace, and listen to the warning signs the body provides. Do not over-exert, risk, hurt or injure yourself, your abdomen, or your baby. Plan your workouts and daily priorities, building the activities and routines into the everyday things you have to do. More sessions spread out throughout the day might benefit you more. 15 -20 minutes at a time, twice a day may be just what the doctor ordered and easier to stick than trying to get away to the gym for an hour and a half!
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, here are some guidelines as to what to do and not to do when exercising while pregnant:
Balance and loss of it are key realities to bear in mind while exercising during pregnancy and most women will rather follow advice to avoid things like riding horses, motorcycles, or snowmobiles for the duration of their nine-month pregnancy journey. Fitness and Treatment Teams (trainer, medical professionals, Other Moms) can all have a positive role to play in this life and reproductive phase, processes, and outcome.
Here are some key things to remember:
So, it does not take much to see and make a case for exercising while pregnant. It is fashionable, trendy and the in thing for mothers-to-be to do, but it is also so much more than mere Fad, Myth, Trend, Statement, personal obsession or commitment, it is a solidly profitable investment in a Healthy Nine Months, with a high ROR (rate of return)!
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