Exercise Guide for Pregnant Women

Guest Post
exercise guide for pregnant women

Contrary to popular belief, being pregnant does not give you the right to eat as much as you want, even though you’re eating for two! In order to provide an unborn child with all the nutrients it needs in order to fully develop, a pregnant woman still needs to eat healthy while also preventing excessive weight gain.

Gaining weight while pregnant is obviously normal, but putting on anything more than 40 pounds could see some complications arise when giving birth. Other than finding it harder to shift the weight after birth, women can also develop gestational diabetes.

When pregnant, exercise should come hand in hand with healthy eating, so aside from watching calorie intake, women should also be taking regular trips to the gym. Here are some suggestions to consider when trying to cater for a bun in the over!

Consider Your Body

Like we mentioned, exercise is key when pregnant, but you must also get the all clear from your body before hitting the yoga mats in the gym. You must remember that your body is a vessel for your child, so looking after it is of the utmost importance. Make sure you take precautions if you have health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure.

It’s important to note that it’s completely fine to continue running, swimming, dancing or cycling during your pregnancy – but only if you were doing these activities before you were pregnant. Don’t put your body under physical stress unless you’re already used to it, or you’ll see fatigue quickly takeover your lifestyle.

Furthermore, make sure you immediately stop exercising if you experience any pain, dizziness or headaches. This could be an indication that there is something wrong with your body, so call your midwife or the hospital to get checked out straight away.

Avoid Physical and Emotional Stress

No matter how sporty you are, it’s best to avoid contact sports like football, or any other activity that can put you at risk of falling. When pregnant, your balance will also be affected, so steer clear of activities that may compromise your centre of gravity. Don’t take up any new sports that you haven’t tried before either – now is not the time to be breaking any bones!

If you like to work your abs, then it is safe to continue doing so while you’re pregnant – but only up to 19 weeks. One you hit the infamous 20 weeks, it’s recommended that you avoid laying on your back for long periods of time, as it can hinder the blood floor to your uterus and your brain.

Carrying a child, especially in the later stages of pregnancy, can cause your bones and muscles to ache – a lot. To compensate, the female body produces a hormone called relaxin that gives your joints and muscles more elasticity. This will mean you can stretch deeper, but make sure you don’t overdo it unless you want a torn muscle! Finally, it’s best to avoid standing for long periods of time. Apart from reducing blood flow to your legs, standing all day can make you dizzy.

This article was written on behalf of Knowsley Safari Park for more experience a fun day out with the kids.

6 Comments

  1. I exercised with all three of my pregnancies, I think it really helped when I went into labor. My longest labor was five hours, shortest was withing an hour.

  2. Super interesting! Great

  3. Great tips! I should have exercised more when I was PG LOL

  4. Great guide. Bookmarking this for the next surrogacy.

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