Things You Should Know About Exercising During Pregnancy
A very important part of female fitness is understanding how to keep fit during pregnancy. Many people wrongly view pregnant women as helpless women who cannot do anything for themselves. Of course, this perception is wrong. Pregnant women are fully capable of engaging in exercises – not weight loss or muscle building exercise – that can help them with good posture and lots of stamina for easy delivery when the time comes.
In this article, we will discuss why it is useful to engage in exercise during pregnancy, who should not engage in exercise during pregnancy, and the types of exercise you should do when you are pregnant.
The Importance of Exercise during Pregnancy
As stated before, exercising during pregnancy isn’t done for fat loss or muscle building, even though that is one of the benefits that come with it. Every part of a good female fitness program should be tailored towards making the woman fit and active, and exercising during pregnancy is not an exemption.
Some of the benefits that come with exercising during pregnancy are:
-
Exercise reduces pregnancy complications
Study after study has shown that women who exercise regularly during their pregnancy are less likely to develop complications like gestational diabetes and are also less likely to require a cesarean section than those who don’t.
-
Exercise allows for easier delivery
Expectant mothers who exercise at least three times a week gain less weight than those who don’t exercise regularly. Also, for the former, they are less likely to have macrosomic babies or babies who grow too big in the uterus. The normal size of a newborn baby should be about 7 and a half, but macrosomic babies are above 9 pounds. These factors make it easier for expectant mothers who exercise regularly to give birth.
-
Exercise allows for quick post-delivery recovery
Regular exercise makes it easy for you to return to normal after giving birth. It aids with weight loss and other aspects of physical recovery. You can get back to work faster or resume your household chores.
-
Exercise helps with back pain
Every female fitness routine for pregnant women is aimed at reducing back and pelvic pain as much as possible. The weight of the baby can have an effect on your back, but good and regular exercise will take care of that, especially during the late stages of the pregnancy.
Exercising during pregnancy can also benefit the baby in the following ways:
-
Exercise helps the baby’s heart
Research has shown that regular exercise can be effective in lowering the heart rate of the fetus, keeping the baby’s heart safe. Also, the effects of good and regular exercise can be seen in the baby’s heart condition even after birth.
-
Exercise leads to lower BMI for the baby
There is enough reason for researchers to believe that regular exercise by the mother during pregnancy can reduce the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the baby. This also means the baby is less likely to have diabetes or obesity.
Who Should Not Engage in Exercise During Pregnancy?
For some women, it is safe to follow a female fitness regimen when they are pregnant. For others, it shouldn’t even be considered. When should you not engage in exercise during pregnancy?
- If you have medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease
- If you have had recurrent miscarriage
- If you have had early births before
- If you have bleeding
- If you have conditions like low placenta
If you have all these conditions, it’s advisable to stay away from exercise during pregnancy. Of course, the best way to know is to meet with your doctor and do what you’re told.
Which kind of exercise Should you Engage in During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, it’s not advisable to go through rigorous fat loss female fitness routines that stress you. Remember, your body is much different from when you were pregnant, so try to keep that in mind as you try out light exercises.
When you are pregnant, you can try out recommended exercises like walking briskly, slow jogging, plie, and so on. Light stretches are also recommended.
There are many exercises you can do, depending on the stage of the pregnancy, but it is important that you don’t overdo it.
Why Kind of Exercise Should You Not Engage In?
As mentioned earlier, most exercises in a female fitness program are safe to do during pregnancy. What is important is that you don’t overdo them.
However, some exercises shouldn’t be done by pregnant women at all. Some of those exercises are:
- Any exercise that requires you to make contact with people like football, handball, and basketball.
- Exercises like skateboarding or horseback riding where you can fall.
- Exercises that require you to jump or hop constantly
- Exercises that require you to lie on your back for long.
As important as exercise is during pregnancy, try not to go way above your head. Do not attempt to join women who are not pregnant for weight loss routines that will stress you excessively. Exercising during pregnancy is a good thing that could become dangerous if you do it wrong.
If you are an athlete, it is important that you contact an obstetrician before you continue your rigorous training female fitness training program during pregnancy. Also, if you are not a competitive athlete but have been involved in light exercise or weight loss programs before your pregnancy, check with your doctor so that you know which ones to stop and which ones to continue.
Conclusion
Exercising during pregnancy has a lot of benefits, but it shouldn’t be overdone. This is not the same as the female fitness routine you are used to or fat loss programs where you take unknown supplements and other stuff in your body. Now, you have a fetus living inside you, so you have to be careful how you treat your body, or the fetus will get affected too.
Also, remember to constantly consult with your doctor if you feel like it’s taking a toll on your physical and/or emotional health. You can never be too careful.
Leave a Comment