Exercises For Pregnant Women – The 6 Pregnancy Exercise Must Do’s

Exercises For Pregnant Women – The 6 Pregnancy Exercise Must Do’s

Every woman that wishes to exercise during her pregnancy naturally has a whole heap of questions about what sort of exercise she should do, how far she should push herself, and the most commonly asked question “…is exercising while I’m pregnant safe”? I have put together a list of the 6 most important things that you must take into consideration if you are planning to exercise while you are pregnant.

Here are the 6 Pregnancy Exercise MUST DO’s:

Always be sure to get your doctor’s okay before you begin any type of exercise routine when you are pregnant.  Having the input of a doctor or medical professional will help you to eliminate any risk to yourself or your baby.  Your doctor will be able to offer you advice about any exercises that will be of specific help to you during your pregnancy, and will also be able to advise you of the sorts of exercise that you might particularly need to avoid.

Because there are so many changes going on in your body during pregnancy NOW is NOT the time to start something new. Pregnancy is already a stressful time for your body, so it is important to allow yourself plenty of time for rest and relaxation.  Now is not the time to embark on a manic new exercise regime.  If you do want to try some new exercise which is gentle for pregnancy, and simultaneously relaxing, strengthening and rejuvenating, try (with your doctor’s permission) a very gently Beginners, or Introductory Guide to Yoga During Pregnancy.  These yoga routines are low impact, and focus on building strength that will help you to manage pregnancy and birth.

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It is important that you monitor yourself and how your body is managing the exercise as you are doing it.  At different stages of your pregnancy you will have energy and stamina levels, so you need to make sure that you are not over extending yourself, and doing damage.  It is always better to stop before you are worn out, so that you are conserving energy for yourself and your baby.

– Avoid running long distances, they are too intense for while you are pregnant. Make sure that you moderate your exercise by slowing down tha pace, intensity and duration of your running.

– Avoid training in intense heat, on steep inclines or at high altitudes. Choose even terrain and stick to public places. This means that you wont be putting your body under unnessesary stress and that there will be people around to offer you assistance should you need it.

– Avoid high impact sports like netball, rugby, soccer or tennis – they involve too many jerky movements, rapid changes in direction, and the possibility of your pregnant belly getiing hit or nocked.  Also high impact sports are too stressful for your loose joints and poor balance (which are side effects of pregnancy).

Concentrate on maintaining your existing strength, not trying to build new strength. As your pregnancy progresses, really listen to your body and do ONLY those exercises that you feel comfortable with – do NOT push yourself.  Do not do anything where you need to hold your breath, this will cut off precious oxygen to your baby. Instead concentrate on doing steady flexing and extension exercises at a moderate level, making sure to inhale on the rest (easy part) and exhale on the exertion (hard part).  Your easiest and safest choice would be to follow a pregnancy-specific workout, so that you can be sure to be targeting the muscles that are vital to exercise during pregnancy.  Following a pregnancy specific workout will also ensure that you are not doing more exercise than you can safely manage while you are pregnant.

Aim to do the majority of your exercises in a supported position, preferably sitting down or holding on to something stable – avoid lying on your back AFTER your third month.  Lying on your back puts the wrong sort of pressure and stress on all of your body and can lead to hypertensive episodes, shortness of breath and dizzyness.

Never exercise on an empty stomach or without water. Keep a water bottle with you at all times, and sip from it frequently during exercise. If you need an  extra energy boost, try adding a little fruit juice to your water. Low GI foods will also help you maintain your energy levels for longer.

Remember, pregnancy is NOT the time to push yourself that EXTRA MILE – you will feel much safer and happier in your pregnancy if you exercise with moderation in mind.  Pregnancy is definetly a time when less exercise is definetly more benificial than too much exercise.  Learn your limits, and if your body is telling you that you have done enough, listen to it!

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