How to get Pregnant » Exercises During Pregnancy
Exercises During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, exercise is a must to keep yourself healthy. This is because exercise has many benefits. First, it can make you feel better. Exercise can increase your sense of control and boost your energy level. Not only does it make you feel better by releasing endorphins, it can also relieve backaches and improve your posture by strengthening and toning muscles in your back, butt, and thighs. It can reduce constipation by accelerating movement in your intestine. It can prevent wear and tear on your joints. It can help you sleep better by relieving the stress and anxiety that might make you restless at night. You look better, because exercise increases the blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow.
Exercise prepares you for labor. Strong muscles and a fit heart can greatly ease labor and delivery. Gaining control over your breathing can help you manage pain. And in the event of a lengthy labor, increased endurance can be a real help.
Exercise also makes you recover faster after childbirth. You'll gain less fat weight during your pregnancy if you continue to exercise.
However, there are some tips which you have to bear in mind when you exercise while pregnant.
How to exercise during pregnancy
The first thing you have to consider is how you exercise before you became pregnant. If you exercised regularly before becoming pregnant, continue your program, with modifications as you need them. If you lacked exercise before you got pregnant, you should begin slowly and build gradually as you become stronger. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes (that's 2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week for healthy women who are not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity activity. If you're healthy, the risks of moderate-intensity activity during pregnancy are very low, and do not increase risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, or early pregnancy loss.
Before you continue your old exercise routine or begin a new one, you should talk to your doctor about exercising while you're pregnant. Discuss any concerns you may have. You also have to talk to your doctor if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, vaginal bleeding and abnormal pregnancy.
Now, let us go to the exercise proper. That depends on what interests you and what your doctor advises. Many women enjoy dancing, swimming, water aerobics, yoga, Pilates, biking, or walking. Swimming is especially appealing, as it gives you welcome buoyancy (floatability or the feeling of weightlessness). Try for a combination of cardio (aerobic), strength, and flexibility exercises, and avoid bouncing.
Many experts recommend walking. It's easy to vary the pace, add hills, and add distance. If you're just starting, begin with a moderately brisk pace for a mile, 3 days a week. Add a couple of minutes every week, pick up the pace a bit, and eventually add hills to your route. Whether you're a pro or a novice, go slowly for the first 5 minutes to warm up and use the last 5 minutes to cool down.
During Pregnancy