Enjoy!
Now that you’re pregnant, you’re probably feeling like it’s a good time to kick your feet up and relax. After all, you’re more tired than you’ve ever been, and your “morning sickness” has turned into “all day sickness”. You deserve a break, right? Well, yes and no.
While getting adequate rest is definitely recommended, if you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, a respite from exercise is not. The American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommend 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most, if not all, days of the week. Recreational activities are deemed appropriate based on the physical movements required for the sport. Those activities that put the individual at high risk of falling or high risk of abdominal contact should be avoided. Such activities include skiing, horseback riding, hockey, soccer and basketball. Scuba diving should also be avoided due to the risk for decompression sickness and exercising at high altitudes should be cautioned due the risk of altitude sickness. Exercises that require you to be in a supine (lying on your back) position are considered unsafe after the first trimester, as this position tends to decrease venous return. Safe, moderate intensity activities include brisk walking, aquatic aerobics or swimming, stationary biking and even push-mowing your lawn. Women who participated in more vigorous intensity exercise pre-pregnancy, such as running, can likely continue these activities. However, these high intensity exercises should be monitored closely by a physician.
Aside from helping to prevent excess weight gain, there are plenty of benefits to maintaining a safe fitness routine while pregnant. Regular exercise can actually give you more energy, even though that sounds contradictory. Shouldn’t exercise make you tired? If you exercise at the recommended intensity for 30 minutes daily, it actually gives your system a boost of energy, while also helping you to sleep more soundly at night. Many women also report difficulty with constipation while pregnant; yet another ailment exercise can improve. Active bodies promote active bowels, so even a short walk can help alleviate the discomfort of bloating and constipation. Active, fit mommy’s-to-be also tend to tolerate labor better, and recover faster. Lastly, staying in shape during your pregnancy also helps to return you to your previous shape sooner, and say good-bye to those fashionable stretchy waistbands.
The benefits of a regular exercise routine are not just limited to the mom-to-be. Babies of mom’s who exercised during pregnancy tend to be of healthier weight, and maintain a healthy weight throughout their lifetime. There is also some evidence that suggests babies of exercising mom’s slept through the night sooner than those born to non-exercisers. That alone can be reason enough to put on your walking shoes.
Not a regular exerciser before you were pregnant? No problem. As long as you have the OK from your physician, you can start with just a 5 minute walk every day. Gradually work your way up to 30 minutes over a period of several weeks, listening to your body along the way. Don’t ignore any aches or pains, whether in your mid-section or otherwise. Make sure to stay hydrated, and maintain healthy nutritional intake (which increases after the first trimester).
Of course there are going to be days where you are too tired to even put on your tennis shoes, let alone walk around the block. That’s okay! Take the day off, and get back at it tomorrow. Remember, it’s not too early to introduce your little one to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle!
