Fitness Tips For Women Who Are Pregnant
If you are pregnant, you may believe that you should not exercise. However, this usually is not the case. Regular exercise can actually be beneficial for pregnant women because it will make them feel better during their pregnancy and even assist during delivery. Read this article for some crucial tips you should follow while exercising.
Before you begin an exercise routine, it is vital that you visit and talk to your doctor. Although there are many exercises that are safe for you to do, there are certain ones that you cannot do. In addition, every pregnant woman's body is different. You do not want to chance doing an exercise that could potentially harm you and/or your baby. Your doctor can inform you as to which exercises are safe for you.
When exercising, always listen to your body. If a certain exercise is causing you pain, even minor pain, you should stop doing it. Although this applies to people who are not pregnant, this certainly applies to pregnant women. One wrong move can be very dangerous. Always start out slow, and gradually increase intensity until you reach your maximum intensity level. Do not exercise above this level.
When you are pregnant, you should avoid doing any exercises that are extremely high intensity. For instance, running and lifting really heavy weights is not a good idea. Instead, do lower intensity exercises like swimming or yoga. Yoga is particularly helpful because when you are pregnant, you tend to lose flexibility. Yoga will help regain some of this lost flexibility.
While working out, you should ensure you stay very well-hydrated. Being dehydrated is dangerous for everyone, but it is really dangerous for pregnant women. Make sure you drink thoroughly up to an hour before your workout, drink thoroughly during your workout, and drink thoroughly after your workout.
Ensure your caloric intake is increased. You may want to minimize your weight gain by reducing your caloric intake; however, when you are pregnant, this is not healthy. Your body needs more calories during this time. Understand that gaining up to 15 or 20 pounds during pregnancy is very normal. Having said that, this does not mean you should indulge on tons of junk food and gain 50 or more pounds. Increase your caloric intake with healthy foods rather than unhealthy foods.
Finally, avoid any exercises where you are lying on your back, especially after your first trimester. This puts added pressure on areas where you should not, which can harm your baby. Instead, make sure all of your exercises are done standing or seated in an upright position.
As this article has shown you, exercising while pregnant can be done. In fact, it is even suggested that you do this. Just remember that you have to make some modifications to your fitness routine while pregnant to ensure the safety of both you and your family. Make use of the excellent tips provided in this article to ensure you are being safe and doing all you can to maximize your fitness efforts.
