Exercising during pregnancy can help you a great deal – here’s how!

Being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t exercise! Instead, it can do wonders for you during pregnancy and also in the post-delivery phase. Sometimes, during pregnancy, women tend to forget or ignore taking care of themselves. But they must remember that only if a mother is fit and healthy, both physically and mentally, would she be able to take care of her little one in the right way.

If complications don’t limit your ability to exercise during pregnancy, you should go for it after due consultation about a carefully designed exercise plan with your doctors and experts. It not just helps to prepare you for childbirth by strengthening your muscles and building endurance, but also helps in the long run when you would want to get your body back in shape.

Not all forms of exercise are feasible during pregnancy, but even a little can go a long way in keeping you fitter.

Benefits of exercising during pregnancy

1. Improved circulation for mother and baby.
2. Reduction in aches and pains of pregnancy, for example, backache and cramps
3. Improved stamina, giving you more energy to cope with growing demands of pregnancy.
4. Improved posture and body awareness.
5. More controlled weight gain.
6. Improved sleeping patterns.
7. Reduction in minor ailments of pregnancy such as stiffness, tension, constipation, sleeplessness.
8. Increased circulation minimizing varicose veins and swelling.
9. Enhanced psychological well-being.
10. A beneficial effect on the course and outcome of labour.

The most basic and important exercise which every pregnant woman can do is walking.

Here’s how walking can help

1. Walking is an inexpensive way of exercising and it just requires a suitable pair of shoes and comfortable clothing.
2. Walking helps to decrease the risk of gestational diabetes (increased blood sugar during pregnancy) and decreases risk of hypertension.
3. It increases your blood circulation, flexibility and endurance, and this in turn increase energy level and helps decrease fatigue.

But you need to understand how to keep a watch on your body temperature and breathing. And always remember to get a green signal from your antenatal expert before you start with your walking routine during pregnancy.

Points to Remember

1. Begin exercising only after consulting your gynaecologist and antenatal expert
2. Begin exercising at a slow pace and gradually increase your pace.
3. Increase your fluid intake.
4. Halt exercising in case you experience pain.

To sum up, exercising during pregnancy is a must for every pregnant female’s physical and mental well-being.