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Exercise During Pregnancy
The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are numerous. It will not only help you to control your weight gain throughout your pregnancy and afterwards, but it will also help to minimize stretch marks.
More importantly, exercise during pregnancy will help to ensure that you and your baby are healthy. Being as healthy as possible throughout your pregnancy will lower your chances of having a difficult pregnancy.
Benefits of exercise during pregnancy
- Maintain a steady and healthy weight gain.
- Lower the chance of needing a cesarean
- Improve sleep quality
- Accelerate postpartum weight loss
- Increase energy levels
- Increase self-esteem, lowering depression and anxiety
- Help to reduce pregnancy discomforts
- Shorten recovery time after birth
If you were exercising regularly before your pregnancy, you may only need to adjust your exercise schedule slightly. If you have not been exercising, it is important to begin any exercise routine very slowly, easing yourself into it.
Tips for exercise during pregnancy
- Drink plenty of fluids before exercising
- Be sure to stretch, but do not overstretch
- Aim to exercise 3 or more times a week
- Do not lift heavy weights
- Never exercise to the point of exhaustion or breathlessness
- During your 2nd and 3rd trimesters, avoid any exercise that requires you to lie on your back, as this reduces blood flow to your baby
Avoid these exercises during pregnancy
- Skiing
- Cycling
- Rollerblading
- Skateboarding
- Horseback Riding
- Surfing
- You get the idea…
