Benefits of Exercise when pregnant
There are a number of reasons to exercise when
pregnant:
-
Increase in Self esteem,
lowering depression and anxiety
-
Maintain a healthy and steady weight gain
-
Helps to reduce pregnancy related
discomfort
-
Lowers
the chance of having to have a cesarean
-
Shortens the recovery time after birth
-
Accelerates
postpartum weight loss
-
Increased energy
levels
-
Improves sleep
quality
Exercising during pregnancy is always a very good idea, there are many
advantages, it does however need to kept in moderation. If you are
someone who has always exercised, then there are a few minor changes that will
be done to your schedule, and if you have just started to exercise, then you
will need to ease yourself into it.
-
If you have been exercising regularly, you will
be able to maintain your routine to some extent throughout your pregnancy
-
If you are just starting to exercise you should
start very slowly
-
Try and exercise at least 3 times a week
-
Stretch, but not to much. Too much extreme
stretching could actually cause more damage than good
-
Try and measure your heart rate constantly during
exercise. Try not to exceede 150 beats per minute.
-
Try to take as much fluid as you can before you
start exercising
-
Don't
lift heavy weights while pregnant
-
Never
exercise to the point of breathlessness
-
During your 2nd and 3rd trimester's try and
avoid exercises that require you to lie on your back, as this reduces
blood flow to your baby
Exercising after Birth:
Most women are very
eager to regain their pre-pregnancy figures, and women who have exercised
through out their pregnancy will gain their figure back much faster than
those who haven't exercised during pregnancy.
As before when you started training or exercising when you were first pregnant,
you need to start off slowly. You may only start exercising again once
your body has completely healed from the stress of labour. So start slowly, and
enjoy getting back the figure you used to have!
