Recently a good friend of mine reported that she is pregnant. Of course, I was excited about the news. But because I am someone who focuses on fitness and health, my second thought was that it's time for her to start exercising for her sake and for her baby.
It's often thought that women shouldn't exercise while pregnant. Those who do know that exercise is a healthy choice might not know how to exercise properly. If you are pregnant or if you are considering becoming pregnant, exercising will help you be at your physical best for the coming changes and will greatly benefit your baby's health.
When beginning your routine there are several things to do. First, make sure you consult your physician before you start. Get his or her input on what level of exercise is best for your situation. Second, avoid any high-impact sports. During pregnancy, the female body releases a natural hormone called relaxin that softens ligament to make the birth process easier, but it's essentially relaxing all ligaments. This is the reason to avoid activities that may cause injury to ligaments when you to jump too high or change direction too quickly.
Once we have all our cautions attended to, it's time to enjoy the many benefits of exercising while pregnant. These benefits include stress relief, increased blood circulation, making the actual birth process easier, less Caesarian sections, less weight gain, quicker recovery time and many more.
The current recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest 30 minutes of activity a day for pregnant women. There are many ways to do this, and simple, small steps will work wonders. How about a morning walk or an evening swim? Also, yoga is a wonderful routine to start. Be aware of your body and its changes. You may look for some low-impact exercises that are challenging enough for you and approved by your doctor. The important thing to remember here is that you're not only improving your health, but also the health of your child.
Nutrition also is an extremely important area to focus on while pregnant. It's believed that a child's appetite begins to be developed before he or she is born. What you are eating has a direct effect on the baby. I often hear women say, "Well, I'm eating for two." That's exactly my point. You're eating for your child, so make sure all your food choices are healthy ones. There may be no better time in life than while pregnant to eat healthy. Average weight gain during pregnancy varies based on a woman's size, but should be roughly 20-25 pounds, again based on the advice of your physician. If you're already above your healthy weight, no more than 20 pounds is recommended. If you add one cookie or similar sweet to your diet a day while pregnant, you may add roughly 9 pounds in excess weight, so make food choices wisely and stick to a healthy exercise routine for optimal health for you and your baby.
Troy Fontana owns Fontana Fitness at the Sparks Marina. Contact him at 331-6918 or getfit@fontanafitness.com