Exercise and Pregnancy?

should i exercise during pregnancy

Yes you should! It amazes me how many people believe that once you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t exercise during pregnancy. I want to debunk that myth right now and tell you that you must exercise during your pregnancy.

The question is not whether you should, the question is how. So in this article, I would like to give you some guidelines on exercising during pregnancy.

If you’re into fitness at all and are thinking about having a baby, you’re probably a little nervous! I am sure you are excited to have a baby but are apprehensive about the weight gain and effects of pregnancy on your body shape and fitness. I don’t blame you! I’m a guy and I could see how putting on all this extra weight might intimidate you.

Understand that you are going to gain weight during pregnancy. The goal is to make sure most of the weight is “baby weight”. I want to provide you with some strategies for maintaining or even improving your fitness during pregnancy so that you can look and feel your best while making sure that your baby is safe. I always encourage my clients to continue exercising and set fitness goals during pregnancy. Don’t let this become the time when you fall…it gets even more difficult post pregnancy.

Exercising during pregnancy can provide you with tons of health benefits for more than just looking good. And don’t forget the benefits it can bring to your child.

Here are some benefits of exercising during pregnancy

1. Lower risk of developing gestational diabetes (that’s huge!)
2. Weight Control (I know you love it!)
3. Decreased postpartum depression (you don’t want to be dealing with PPD!)
4. Limits water retention (you know that bloated look!)
5. More nutrients for your baby (who doesn’t want a healthy baby!) due to the larger placenta
6. Less chance of varicose veins (we all love those veins..no!)
7. Less likely to need a C-section delivery (I hear these aren’t fun!).
8. Rapid return to pre-pregnancy weight (YES!!)
9. Healthy and lean baby up to 5 years after delivery (awesome!)
10. Enhanced fitness for delivery so you can handle the demands of mommy hood! (I hear mom hood is a full time job..get ready!)

The studies that have been done encourage pregnant women to get moderate exercise for 30 minutes or more every day, so do your own research if you don’t believe me.

Studies have also shown that very physically active women may benefit from continuing their high-volume exercise routine for up to 9 hours per week during pregnancy. Now, there are certain things that you want to stay away from during your pregnancy…

So, now I would like to give you some of the keys to your exercise success during pregnancy.

set realistic goals

First, you have to adjust your goals and realize that things are going to change during pregnancy. I’m going to tell you something that might surprise you. are you ready When pregnant, weight gain should be expected. That’s right, expect weight gain! How much do you get is the question.

Here are the numbers for healthy weight gain during pregnancy:

• Underweight women should gain between 25 and 35 pounds
• overweight women should not gain more than 15 to 25 pounds
• women 5’2″ or shorter should gain between 15 and 25 pounds

Put all those thoughts of losing pregnancy fat out of your mind… Your new focus should be on maintaining your fitness level and gaining a healthy, but not unusual amount of weight.

exercise intensity

Your exercise intensity needs to be kept in check during pregnancy. How would you do this? By keeping your body temperature and heart rate under control. To do this, you have to pay close attention to your exercise intensity. Always remind yourself that your first responsibility when you are pregnant is to create the ideal environment for your baby. I mean to say that you should slap your head if you are smoking and drinking!

I had to throw that out there because I am amazed how women continue with this lifestyle when they are pregnant.

Back to my point on exercise intensity… you should be able to carry on a conversation without getting out of breath. Your heart rate should not climb more than 70-75% of your maximum (HR max = 220-age) during exercise sessions.

Keep your body temperature under control by avoiding exercising in extremely hot or humid conditions, and always keep yourself hydrated during exercise.

Exercise every day will keep the doctor away

Although the intensity of your exercise has to be in check, there is no need to reduce the amount of your exercise. What you were doing before you became pregnant, how much and how often, usually needs to be determined. In fact, it is recommended that pregnant women get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, including a variety of exercises.

Exercises You Can Do and Exercises You Shouldn’t Do

You may want to stay away from contact sports during pregnancy. So put the football ladies down! Sprinting is out too, but there are plenty of other exercises that are fine as long as you pay attention to the changes in your body and monitor the factors I mentioned above.

High-impact activities and other exercises should be reduced. Try to choose activities that cause less joint stress such as swimming, walking, biking, or if you prefer a gym you can use an elliptical or stair climber.

I am going to tell something that will surprise you. get ready!

You can do weight training during pregnancy. In fact, weight training should be done and can be one of the most beneficial activities for a pregnant woman. Just follow my guidelines below:

Here are the guidelines for weight training during pregnancy:

1. Work That Core

Back and hip pain increases during pregnancy. Fortunately, exercises that brace the core (your good old front and side bridges) can strengthen the core muscles and reduce pain. You want to try to choose exercises that require you to support your spine and that force you to use your core (abdominal) muscles to support your spine. Is. You may hear me refer to these exercises as core stability. You must maintain a neutral spine while choosing these exercises. These exercises will typically be free weight exercises and not machine exercises because they do all the stabilization for you. Working on your core is important during pregnancy

2. You should train the whole body

Be sure to train both the upper and lower body. Training your entire body will enable you to build more lean muscle mass which will allow you to burn fat more efficiently while pregnant as well as help you look toned and lean and sexy!

3. You should avoid lying on your back

After the first trimester, try to avoid exercises that require you to lie flat on your back. Do exercises like bench press. Studies have shown that exercising while lying flat on your back can reduce blood flow to your brain and your uterus. It’s probably a no brainer but you also want to avoid exercises that strain or put pressure on your abdomen.

4. You should breathe naturally

Try to breathe normally during exercise. Try to avoid exhaling forcefully without actually releasing the air which can result in a rapid increase in blood and pressure inside the abdomen which can reduce the flow of oxygen to the fetus.

5. You Should Be Using High Reps

I am not asking you not to work hard, I am just asking you to lose weight. You should stick with high repetitions for most of your sets (10-20 reps). These sets should be done at 65-75% of your 1RM. This rest can help avoid stressing the joints and can help prevent a rapid increase in blood and intra-abdominal pressure.

If you have been exercising regularly and have recently become pregnant, it is important that you continue to exercise just be sure to follow my guidelines above. If you’re reading this and aren’t pregnant yet, now is the time to get proactive and take control of your health so you’ll be ready when the time comes.

If you are pregnant but exercise is new to you and you want to get started, go ahead. Just start very slow and be sure to follow the guidelines above. I always recommend seeking guidance and counseling from a fitness professional who knows what they’re doing and has some experience working with pregnant women. And don’t forget to check out my article on how to eat while pregnant… taking care of your nutrition is a big part of the game.

Of course, if you need some help with your nutrition or exercise, I recommend going with one of my Bootcamp Tulsa coaches.

Now, go have some babies and stay fit during pregnancy!

Source by Jonathan Conneely