Benefits of Exercising While Pregnant

Exercise is beneficial for everyone, especially a mother to be during pregnancy! A soon to be mom can workout throughout her whole pregnancy and thereafter.  As long as there aren’t any contraindications, it’s not only safe to exercise while pregnant but recommended.

Still Skeptical About Exercising While Pregnant?

Many questions regarding exercising while pregnant are always on the mind of a soon to be mom!  “Is it OK to do ab exercises? Can I still do resistance exercises that I was doing prior to pregnancy? Am I able to still run?“

During your pregnancy, you already have enough on your mind. So, to ease your mind, we are going to go over some of the benefits of exercising during your pregnancy while debunking the myths!

Workout Goals During Your Pregnancy

Now that you are pregnant, the goals you’re trying to achieve through exercise are different.

Prior to being pregnant, your goal was to tone and tighten up, but while expecting, your goal is to maintain weight gain during pregnancy and loosen up for childbirth. Being fit will make your pregnancy and labor much easier.

Benefits & Myths of Exercising While Pregnant

Let’s review some of the benefits and myths of exercising while pregnant…

Benefit: Improves Posture

An important contribution to a healthy pregnancy is good posture. Having the proper alignment can minimize low back pain and neck pain.

Myth:  If You Weren’t Exercising Before Now is Not The Time

The reality is, the time to start moving is at the beginning of pregnancy even if it is moderately walking.

Benefit: Exercise Could Help Prevent or Treat Gestational Diabetes

Physical activity has been associated with a reduced risk of developing gestational diabetes and lower blood glucose levels in women who develop it.

Myth: Resistance Training is Not Beneficial While Pregnant

Weight training will help build stamina which you need during labor and weight training will also help keep your weight gain in a healthy range.

Benefit: Exercising While Pregnant Relieves Stress

Exercising during your pregnancy can help relieve tension, reduces stress, and helps with depression. Exercise is great because it releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin which can help improve your mood.

Myth: Exercising While Pregnant Can Cause a Miscarriage

There is no evidence to support this myth. Per researchers at Columbia University, women who exercised throughout pregnancy had a 40 percent lower chance of having a miscarriage.

Benefit: You Can Get Your Body Back Sooner After Childbirth

By maintaining your strength and muscle tone during pregnancy, your body will have an easier time bouncing back after you give birth.

Myth: Running & Ab Work is Not Good To Do

Your baby will not be harmed in your belly while running. Your baby is safe swimming in amniotic fluid while you jog.

When it comes to ab work, doing ab work on your back is a no-no after your first trimester. But you can do other core exercises like planks, standing crunches, pelvic tilts, and bird dogs.

Nutrition is Just as Important

Keeping active while pregnant is very beneficial for mommy to be and for the baby. There are activities you are able to do even if you are bed ridden. Every woman is different, with different needs, and different circumstances, but the benefits of exercise and a proper nutrition program are numerous!

When it comes to a nutrition program, a healthy baby doesn’t just happen. The way you eat during your pregnancy affects not just your health, but it also affects your baby’s physical, mental, and behavioral well-being.

The fetus shares all available nutrients with the mother, who is in charge of what is consumed, when it is consumed, and how much of it is consumed.  Proper nutrition is very important to fetal development.

Don’t Worry About Losing Weight

Pregnancy is not the time for slimming down. If you diet to lose weight and trim down during pregnancy, it could be detrimental to your baby’s health. A healthy amount of weight gain during pregnancy, which depends on the weight of the mommy to be at the start of the pregnancy, is around 15 to 30 pounds.

As far as nutrition goes, it best to have a balanced nutrition program.  The main thing is making sure that you are getting adequate nutrients for you and your baby.

To get these nutrients, you need to eat food from a variety of food groups such as fruits, veggies, breads, grains, and proteins. Getting in the adequate amount of nutrients will be very beneficial for mommy and her baby!

Always Consult With Your Doctor

Most importantly, like with any workout, always consult with your doctor before starting a new fitness program. Working with your doctor ahead of time is a good way of making sure that certain exercise programs are right for you.

This also helps ensure that you will minimize the possibility of injuring yourself as your body.

Conclusion

The benefits of exercise and nutrition are numerous.  You are able to be healthy through your pregnancy and prepared for labor. You are also able to have a healthy baby!

Having a healthy lifestyle through fitness and nutrition will be very beneficial for you and your future addition to your family!