Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy – How to Cope with Your Growing Baby Bump

Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy – How to Cope with Your Growing Baby Bump

For expecting moms who are wondering about the , maybe my personal story can help to answer the questions you have about physical exercise in pregnancy.

After I became pregnant with my first child I became so thrilled. My husband and I had a little difficulty conceiving so when it eventually occurred it was the greatest thrill of my lifetime. A couple months into my pregnant state I was becoming a little worried about my increasing baby bump. Now don’t get me wrong, I was still very pleased to be pregnant, I was only a little worried about the unwanted weight I was putting on. All my life I had worked at attempting to look skinnier, be skinnier, even think skinnier. I put in lots of time in the gym, in aerobics courses, on the bicycle paths. I put in a lot of work attempting to look great and be in good health. Now it seemed all my work was going to go bye bye.

I was gaining pounds at an unpleasant rate. My head was racing with questions. What if I wasn’t going to manage to shed the pounds after the baby came? Was I gonna lose my figure forever? Exactly how huge was my growing baby bump likely to get? Are you able to exercise during pregnancy? If so, what are the benefits of exercise during pregnancy?

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It eventually dawned on me that after I became pregnant I was so excited and so occupied making plans for the delivery that I had quit exercising. I guess there was a part of me that thought it would be hazardous to workout while pregnant, perhaps all of the jostling and activity would in some way injure my baby. But I spoke to my physician and found out it not only is safe to exercise during pregnancy, it is actually recommended. I must admit I had been giving in to my food cravings a tad too much and taking the “eating for two” theory a little too seriously. And so I made a decision I needed to better control my eating habits during pregnancy too.

So here is what I did to help manage my weight and be in shape while I was expecting:

I learned that expecting mothers simply have to consume an additional 300 calories or so to support the nutritional needs of their growing baby. I also learned that a variety of foods along with a good prenatal vitamin is the best way to get all the nutritional requirements my baby and I required. So I curbed my cravings and controlled my portions. It turns out that “eating for two” just isn’t always true.

I did a little research and learned which exercises were safe and sound when pregnant. As it happens most any physical exercise that is not excessively strenuous is ok. I built myself a pregnancy fitness program around the physical exercises which are safe when pregnant.

Between my exercise and diet program I felt and looked great during the remainder of my pregnancy and also learned to love my growing baby bump. I did not do it by myself. I consulted along with my doctor and followed an excellent pregnancy fitness program that provided details on appropriate diet and exercise. The very best news was that by staying in shape during pregnancy I easily returned to my pre-pregnancy shape after my child was born. Personally, there were a lot of benefits of exercise during pregnancy.

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