Exercising During Pregnancy: The Beginner’s Guide

by: Stefan Simonovic

Source: MsFitMag

Exercise during pregnancy is important to keep your entire body healthy, much like when you’re not pregnant. The main difference is that you exercise to build your stamina for labor and for recovering from it. Exercise is highly recommended as long as it’s done in moderation and you don’t overdo it. Having someone to take care of you when pregnant can help you a great deal when it comes to you taking care of yourself, and hopefully, you don’t need to go and find love online or offline at this point in your life.

Your sole focus should be on building your physical and emotional strength, and hopefully, you can reduce any other distractions to a minimum. Below we discuss how you can increase your stamina to get through this period as easily as possible, and enjoy every second of it.

#1: Swimming and Walking are your Best Friends

Swimming and brisk walking are the recommended forms of exercise during pregnancy to keep the mind and body healthy, especially if you were not particularly active before. If you were, make sure you decrease the intensity of your workouts and only do what feels good at a given moment. If you jogged before you got pregnant there is no reason why you shouldn’t jog now, but definitely take it down a notch.

If you’re nauseous give yourself a few weeks to adjust and don’t exercise if you have bleeding or spotting, low placenta, prior miscarriages, weak cervix or history of premature labor. Otherwise, you should be perfectly fine with half an hour of moderate exercise every day.

#2: Activities to be Avoided

Any activity that makes you lose your breath is too strenuous for pregnant women, and activities that come with a risk of falling should also be avoided, such as skiing and horseback riding. Restrain from any contact sports such as basketball, football or even volleyball. Stay away from activities that require any kind of jumping, hopping or skipping, and avoid deep bends or quick changes in direction. Forget about lifting weights and certain types of yoga that require your mid-section to twist and turn are off the time for the moment as well. Don’t do any exercises that require you to lie down on your stomach, and skip the sauna afterward.

#3: Around Your Workout

Always begin with a 5-minute warm-up to prepare your joints and muscles for exercise. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothing and a well-fitted sports bra. Choose the shoes to match your activity to prevent injury and ensure you are comfortable during your workout. Feeding your body enough healthy nutrients and calories (300 more than usual) at least an hour before you begin your workout will ensure your body is prepared and you get the best out of your exercise routine without feeling dizzy or too exhausted from it. Drink water before, during and after the workout and never push your body too hard while pregnant. There will be plenty of time to tone those abs or thighs once the baby’s big enough, and for now, all you need to focus on is staying healthy.


About the author:

Stefan is a writer and a blogger in his spare time. He also works for First Beat Media, a company that mainly focuses on the online dating niche and similar services.