If you did not exercise regularly before getting pregnant, after you are pregnant is not a good time to start an exercise program. However, if you were an avid exerciser in the past, there is no need to stop exercising and exercise during pregnancy can benefit you throughout your pregnancy and even with delivery.
Pregnancy is not, however, a good time to take up new exercise programs or start doing things that you are not used to. Also, during the first trimester you may have morning sickness and throughout the pregnancy you are likely to be more tired and exhausted. Even if you never missed a workout before you got pregnant, while you are pregnant you need to give yourself a break and miss a workout if you are too tired or too sick with morning sickness. Your workout will wait but your body needs sleep and care during pregnancy. Take care of yourself and your baby first.
Exercise And Pregnancy
When it comes to pregnancy, there are women on both sides of the spectrum. There are women who never workout during pregnancy and then there are the women who are teaching classes or doing heavy squats with their protruding bellies.
It is likely that neither of those extremes is optimum and that a happy medium is the best course of action. Anyone can walk and walking is good exercise for pregnant women. However, there are some things to consider as you are exercising during pregnancy.
The high heart rates that you may have been used to before your pregnancy should probably come down. You should not do high intensity interval training, where your heart rate skyrockets and then comes back down. A slower and steady heart rate is better for your baby and better for you.
You should be able to talk normally while you are working out. If you are out of breath to such an extent that you cannot carry on a conversation, then your heart rate is too high. Try to work at a pace that is somewhat challenging but still easy enough to talk and converse.
Pregnancy Exercises
Do not try new things when you are pregnant wait until your pregnancy is over. If you have never tried that new class at your gym it will still be there when you are no longer pregnant or it wasn’t a great class anyway. You might want buy a new pregnancy exercise DVD.
Stick to exercise during pregnancy that you are used to and also try to remain low impact. You don’t want to bounce your baby around and it is also detrimental to your own musculature to bounce your pregnant belly around. Also, most doctors recommend that you quit doing ab and core exercises while you are pregnant, so discontinue your ab routine. You can start again after the baby is born.
If you never exercised before you got pregnant, you can still walk as that is a good way to stay active. Just make sure that you are not high risk. Some women are at high risk when they are pregnant and their doctor may recommend bed rest. Thankfully, this is not true for the majority of women.
If you are healthy and strong, walking 30 minutes at a time, 2 to 3 times a week can be beneficial. During the last trimester you may slow down, however, towards the end your doctor may recommend that you walk even more as walking can sometimes bring on labor.
Many women who have stayed active during their pregnancies have reported having easier labors and definitely easier recoveries. Pregnancy is not an excuse to not do anything. Try to be as active as possible and exercise during pregnancy, for an easier pregnancy, an easier delivery and an easier recovery.