How To Stay Fit During Pregnancy
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Exercise can be a good
way to reduce stress and ease the discomfort felt during pregnancy. If you were
physically active before you became pregnant, you can still exercise to stay
fit and have more energy during the day. You will have to consider low impact
exercise, however. Even though the baby is protected in a cushiony layer, you
should not participate in strenuous activities or in activities where you could
injure yourself.
REASONS TO EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY
In addition to reducing
stress and giving you more energy when you are pregnant, there are other
reasons to exercise. These include the following:
· Help you have a
shorter labor
· Will help you lose
extra weight gained while pregnant
· May help with
postpartum depression
· Reduce fatigue
· Will give you more
energy when you go into labor
· May help lessen
the pains felt during the pregnancy
· May reduce your
chances of having a cesarean birth
With all of these reasons
to exercise during pregnancy, it is important to talk with your care provider
to determine how much exercise will be appropriate. If you had trouble getting
pregnant, then you may not be allowed to move around as much as you would like.
Again, this will depend on many factors including:
·
Age
·
Weight
·
Prior health issues
·
Circumstances of conception
·
Issues during other
pregnancies
·
Emotional stress
But if you are having a
healthy pregnancy so far, you should be able to take daily walks, and complete
stretches in the morning and at nighttime. The key is to find low impact
exercises that will help you during each stage of your pregnancy. During your
last trimester, depending on the amount of weight you have gained, you may not
be able to be as active as you were before. Seeing how your body reacts is the
best way to determine if you should continue exercising or not.
TOP 10 EXERCISES
Below are the top ten
exercises you can try while you are pregnant. You will find that exercising is
a good way to feel more energized during the day. It will also improve your
mood. You should exercise three times a week. This can be altered depending on
how you are feeling.
Walking
This is the best way for
you to get some exercise while pregnant. Taking a short walk around the block
or the neighborhood will work your leg, back, and thigh muscles and it will
also get the blood flowing in a safe way. Walking with other pregnant women or
with friends and family are also ways to connect with others. You can talk
while walking and be able to share interesting conversation while staying fit.
Stretching
Stretching every morning
will help reduce leg cramps and other cramping that you may begin to feel as
you enter your second and third trimester. Keeping the muscles limber will also
help during labor. You should stretch before walking also so that your muscles
will be relaxed and you will not be sore the next day.
Yoga
If you have never
practiced yoga before, you should consider it during your pregnancy. There are
beginner classes especially for pregnant women that will teach you simple poses
that will help you when you are under stress, have feelings of anxiety or
depression, or when you cannot sleep. These stretches can be done at home once
you are comfortable.
If you are joining a
class that is not for pregnant women, it is best to tell the instructor, so
that they can give you simple versions of the poses they are teaching. If you
want to learn some poses from a tape or DVD, buy one that is specifically for
pregnant women.
There are some yoga poses
that should be avoided during pregnancy. Poses that twist the abdomen or
require you to balance your weight should be avoided.
If you are not
comfortable practicing yoga, basic stretches when feeling anxious will help you
to stay calm.
Free weights
Another good low impact
exercise is to use free weights that are three or five pounds to work your arms
and back muscles. These weights will tone your muscles, but will not give you
the work out you may have been used to before you were pregnant.
Water aerobics
Being in the water will
help you relax and will also act as natural resistance when exercising in it.
Whether you are just swimming laps or working out with a class of other
pregnant women, you will enjoy being in the water. This is a low impact
exercise that will keep you energized during your pregnancy.
Stationary bike
If enjoy riding a bike,
but you don’t want to risk falling on the pavement while pregnant, a stationary
bike may be the answer. As long as you don’t overdo it, you will be able to
ride your bike for thirty minutes each day if you want to.
Elliptical Trainer
An elliptical trainer is
a good way to build your leg muscles and thigh and hip muscles when pregnant.
These muscles will come in handy during labor and you will have less cramping
in the meantime. An elliptical trainer may be better for some pregnant women
than a treadmill because there is less impact on the knees.
Treadmill
Treadmills are another
way to exercise in a low impact way. If it is raining outside or if you are
feeling self conscious on certain days about your growing body, you can still
fit your walk into your day by using a treadmill. It is not recommended that
you run on the treadmill while pregnant, just a nice walking pace will give you
all the exercise you will need.
Light aerobics
As long as you are not
targeting your abs and working out for an hour or two a day, light aerobic
exercises should be fine. You can target many muscle groups through aerobics.
Pilates
This is a form of
stretching that allows you to hold a stretch for a certain amount of time. The
goal is to lengthen the muscles so that you will be long and lean. When
pregnant, some of these stretches will help relieve tension in certain muscle
groups.
WARNING SIGNS WHEN EXERCISING
Staying in tune with your
body will help you know when to continue exercising and when to stop. If you
begin feeling any of these symptoms when exercising, you should stop
immediately:
·
Shortness of breath
·
Heart palpitations
·
Intense fatigue
·
Vaginal leaking or
bleeding
·
Headache
·
Dizziness
·
Contractions
·
Nausea
·
Faintness
Even if these symptoms
disappear after you stop exercising, you should not exercise again until the
next day. If these symptoms continue, you should stop exercising, break up your
exercise regimen into ten minute sessions during the day, consult your care
provider, or find another exercise that is low impact.
Even though exercise is
beneficial, it may not be for you.
WHEN NOT TO EXERCISE
If you suffer from any of
the following conditions, you should not exercise during your pregnancy:
·
Weight issues
·
High blood pressure
·
Previous miscarriages
·
Bleeding
·
Lung issues
·
Muscle issues
·
Joint issues
·
Heart issues
Ask your care provider if
you can stretch or participate in other low impact exercises that will not
influence blood pressure or trigger an asthma attack.
ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO STAY FIT
If you are under doctor’s
orders not to participate in exercise regimens during your pregnancy, there are
small ways that you can stay active. These include:
·
Light house cleaning
·
Wading into the shallow
end of the swimming pool
·
Walking around the house
·
Basic stretches
·
Carrying a book in each
hand while walking around the house
·
Grocery shopping
You should find daily
activities and turn them into exercises. This will help you stay energized and
reduce stress.
EXERCISES FOR THREE TRIMESTERS
During each trimester,
you may find that is will become more difficult to exercise. This is for
several reasons:
·
Weight gain
·
Increased fatigue
·
Not enough time
·
Balance issues
·
Discomfort
If you started out your
pregnancy exercising each day, you may find that by the third trimester, you
may not be exercising much at all. This is normal as the days draw closer to
your due date.
It is during your first
trimester where you may experience nausea, increased fatigue, and stress.
Walking, eating a healthy diet, and managing stress will be the key. You should
try to walk at least three times a week for thirty minutes if you can.
You can also join an
evening yoga group if you experience nausea during the morning or vice versa.
Yoga will help settle your stomach and allow you to focus on your body for a
while.
Depending on how you are
feeling physically, you can participate in many low impact exercises that will
help reduce nausea and cramps in the legs, back, and shoulders.
Many women claim that
during their second trimester they feel more energetic because the nausea has
ceased and their bodies are becoming more used to carrying a baby.
If you are experiencing
the same feelings, take advantage by participating in low impact exercising
including water aerobics, walking, and using exercise equipment. You will be
gaining weight during this time, so you will want to tone as much as you can in
order to make losing the weight later on a little easier.
During your third
trimester, you may be feeling sluggish, fatigued, and stressed because your
baby will be arriving soon. You may also gain a little more weight which could
cause you to lose your balance or get stuck in smaller spaces.
When exercising, be aware
of how your body is feeling. If you cannot lift weights without falling over,
then switch to simple stretches, walking, or stick to light housework. You may
begin to feel like your pregnancy will never end, but don’t worry, you are
getting closer to your due date.
After your baby is born,
you will be busy caring for them, but you do not want to forget about yourself
completely. When your baby is napping, try to sneak in a few minutes of
exercise a day. This will help you overcome your feelings of depression,
anxiety, and stress.
Leg exercises, free
weights, stretching, and other low impact exercises will help and are quiet
enough for you to do when your baby is sleeping. When the weather is nice, you
can take your baby for walks, which will also help you lost the extra weight.
Postpartum depression can
happen for many reasons. Your hormone levels will be changing again, you will
feel unattractive because of the excess weight, and you may be under stress
because you now have a baby to care for. Whatever the reason, exercise has
helped many people overcome their emotional changes.
Start out slow and work
your way up to thirty minutes a day. You will be amazed how fast the weight
will come off and how good you will feel afterwards. If you have to work after
having your baby, try to exercise at night. This will help you become more
energetic and will also improve your mood.
Exercise can be a good way to reduce stress and ease the discomfort felt during pregnancy. If you were physically active before you became pregnant, you can still exercise to stay fit and have more energy during the day. You will have to consider low impact exercise, however. Even though the baby is protected in a cushiony layer, you should not participate in strenuous activities or in activities where you could injure yourself.
REASONS TO EXERCISE
DURING PREGNANCY
In addition to reducing
stress and giving you more energy when you are pregnant, there are other
reasons to exercise. These include the following:
· Help you have a
shorter labor
· Will help you lose
extra weight gained while pregnant
· May help with
postpartum depression
· Reduce fatigue
· Will give you more
energy when you go into labor
· May help lessen
the pains felt during the pregnancy
· May reduce your
chances of having a cesarean birth
With all of these reasons
to exercise during pregnancy, it is important to talk with your care provider
to determine how much exercise will be appropriate. If you had trouble getting
pregnant, then you may not be allowed to move around as much as you would like.
Again, this will depend on many factors including:
·
Age
·
Weight
·
Prior health issues
·
Circumstances of conception
·
Issues during other
pregnancies
·
Emotional stress
But if you are having a
healthy pregnancy so far, you should be able to take daily walks, and complete
stretches in the morning and at nighttime. The key is to find low impact
exercises that will help you during each stage of your pregnancy. During your
last trimester, depending on the amount of weight you have gained, you may not
be able to be as active as you were before. Seeing how your body reacts is the
best way to determine if you should continue exercising or not.
Below are the top ten
exercises you can try while you are pregnant. You will find that exercising is
a good way to feel more energized during the day. It will also improve your
mood. You should exercise three times a week. This can be altered depending on
how you are feeling.
This is the best way for
you to get some exercise while pregnant. Taking a short walk around the block
or the neighborhood will work your leg, back, and thigh muscles and it will
also get the blood flowing in a safe way. Walking with other pregnant women or
with friends and family are also ways to connect with others. You can talk
while walking and be able to share interesting conversation while staying fit.
Stretching every morning
will help reduce leg cramps and other cramping that you may begin to feel as
you enter your second and third trimester. Keeping the muscles limber will also
help during labor. You should stretch before walking also so that your muscles
will be relaxed and you will not be sore the next day.
If you have never
practiced yoga before, you should consider it during your pregnancy. There are
beginner classes especially for pregnant women that will teach you simple poses
that will help you when you are under stress, have feelings of anxiety or
depression, or when you cannot sleep. These stretches can be done at home once
you are comfortable.
If you are joining a
class that is not for pregnant women, it is best to tell the instructor, so
that they can give you simple versions of the poses they are teaching. If you
want to learn some poses from a tape or DVD, buy one that is specifically for
pregnant women.
There are some yoga poses
that should be avoided during pregnancy. Poses that twist the abdomen or
require you to balance your weight should be avoided.
If you are not
comfortable practicing yoga, basic stretches when feeling anxious will help you
to stay calm.
Another good low impact
exercise is to use free weights that are three or five pounds to work your arms
and back muscles. These weights will tone your muscles, but will not give you
the work out you may have been used to before you were pregnant.
Water aerobics
Being in the water will
help you relax and will also act as natural resistance when exercising in it.
Whether you are just swimming laps or working out with a class of other
pregnant women, you will enjoy being in the water. This is a low impact
exercise that will keep you energized during your pregnancy.
If enjoy riding a bike,
but you don’t want to risk falling on the pavement while pregnant, a stationary
bike may be the answer. As long as you don’t overdo it, you will be able to
ride your bike for thirty minutes each day if you want to.
An elliptical trainer is
a good way to build your leg muscles and thigh and hip muscles when pregnant.
These muscles will come in handy during labor and you will have less cramping
in the meantime. An elliptical trainer may be better for some pregnant women
than a treadmill because there is less impact on the knees.
Treadmills are another
way to exercise in a low impact way. If it is raining outside or if you are
feeling self conscious on certain days about your growing body, you can still
fit your walk into your day by using a treadmill. It is not recommended that
you run on the treadmill while pregnant, just a nice walking pace will give you
all the exercise you will need.
As long as you are not
targeting your abs and working out for an hour or two a day, light aerobic
exercises should be fine. You can target many muscle groups through aerobics.
This is a form of
stretching that allows you to hold a stretch for a certain amount of time. The
goal is to lengthen the muscles so that you will be long and lean. When
pregnant, some of these stretches will help relieve tension in certain muscle
groups.
Staying in tune with your
body will help you know when to continue exercising and when to stop. If you
begin feeling any of these symptoms when exercising, you should stop
immediately:
·
Shortness of breath
·
Heart palpitations
·
Intense fatigue
·
Vaginal leaking or
bleeding
·
Headache
·
Dizziness
·
Contractions
·
Nausea
·
Faintness
Even if these symptoms
disappear after you stop exercising, you should not exercise again until the
next day. If these symptoms continue, you should stop exercising, break up your
exercise regimen into ten minute sessions during the day, consult your care
provider, or find another exercise that is low impact.
Even though exercise is
beneficial, it may not be for you.
If you suffer from any of
the following conditions, you should not exercise during your pregnancy:
·
Weight issues
·
High blood pressure
·
Previous miscarriages
·
Bleeding
·
Lung issues
·
Muscle issues
·
Joint issues
·
Heart issues
Ask your care provider if
you can stretch or participate in other low impact exercises that will not
influence blood pressure or trigger an asthma attack.
If you are under doctor’s
orders not to participate in exercise regimens during your pregnancy, there are
small ways that you can stay active. These include:
·
Light house cleaning
·
Wading into the shallow
end of the swimming pool
·
Walking around the house
·
Basic stretches
·
Carrying a book in each
hand while walking around the house
·
Grocery shopping
You should find daily
activities and turn them into exercises. This will help you stay energized and
reduce stress.
EXERCISES FOR THREE
TRIMESTERS
During each trimester,
you may find that is will become more difficult to exercise. This is for
several reasons:
·
Weight gain
·
Increased fatigue
·
Not enough time
·
Balance issues
·
Discomfort
If you started out your
pregnancy exercising each day, you may find that by the third trimester, you
may not be exercising much at all. This is normal as the days draw closer to
your due date.
It is during your first
trimester where you may experience nausea, increased fatigue, and stress.
Walking, eating a healthy diet, and managing stress will be the key. You should
try to walk at least three times a week for thirty minutes if you can.
You can also join an
evening yoga group if you experience nausea during the morning or vice versa.
Yoga will help settle your stomach and allow you to focus on your body for a
while.
Depending on how you are
feeling physically, you can participate in many low impact exercises that will
help reduce nausea and cramps in the legs, back, and shoulders.
Many women claim that
during their second trimester they feel more energetic because the nausea has
ceased and their bodies are becoming more used to carrying a baby.
If you are experiencing
the same feelings, take advantage by participating in low impact exercising
including water aerobics, walking, and using exercise equipment. You will be
gaining weight during this time, so you will want to tone as much as you can in
order to make losing the weight later on a little easier.
During your third
trimester, you may be feeling sluggish, fatigued, and stressed because your
baby will be arriving soon. You may also gain a little more weight which could
cause you to lose your balance or get stuck in smaller spaces.
When exercising, be aware
of how your body is feeling. If you cannot lift weights without falling over,
then switch to simple stretches, walking, or stick to light housework. You may
begin to feel like your pregnancy will never end, but don’t worry, you are
getting closer to your due date.
After your baby is born,
you will be busy caring for them, but you do not want to forget about yourself
completely. When your baby is napping, try to sneak in a few minutes of
exercise a day. This will help you overcome your feelings of depression,
anxiety, and stress.
Leg exercises, free
weights, stretching, and other low impact exercises will help and are quiet
enough for you to do when your baby is sleeping. When the weather is nice, you
can take your baby for walks, which will also help you lost the extra weight.
Postpartum depression can
happen for many reasons. Your hormone levels will be changing again, you will
feel unattractive because of the excess weight, and you may be under stress
because you now have a baby to care for. Whatever the reason, exercise has
helped many people overcome their emotional changes.
Start out slow and work
your way up to thirty minutes a day. You will be amazed how fast the weight
will come off and how good you will feel afterwards. If you have to work after
having your baby, try to exercise at night. This will help you become more
energetic and will also improve your mood.
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