Fit Pregnancy

A fit pregnancy offers many benefits. Staying fit during your pregnancy will help keep your weight gain within the recommended 25-35 pound range. It will also reduce backaches or other pregnancy-related discomforts, relieve stress, and prepare your body for the childbirth experience. Some studies have even suggested that mothers who exercise regularly and consume a well-balanced diet greatly reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Move Your Body

For most women, there’s no need to avoid exercise during pregnancy. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women engage in moderate physical activity for roughly 30 minutes each day. However, it’s best to with your doctor about the safety of your exercise routine.

Walking, swimming, and yoga are excellent forms of exercise for pregnant women. Even if you were a coach potato before your pregnancy, these activities are easy to learn and carry minimal risk of injury. If you’re a more experienced athlete, aerobics classes and running are generally considered to be acceptable forms of physical activity. Just remember that you may need to reduce the intensity of your workout to accommodate the changes in your body.

Activities such as kickboxing, skiing, horseback riding, soccer, and rollerblading should be avoided during pregnancy. Any activity that carries a risk of falls or injury to the abdominal area is considered to be too dangerous for an expectant mother.

Here are some suggestions for a safe and enjoyable workout:

• To avoid overheating, wear multiple layers of clothing that can be removed as necessary.
• Wear a supportive bra to reduce discomfort from swollen or tender breasts.
• Avoid exercising on hot or humid days.
• Never exercise to the point of exhaustion. Stop your workout before you feel dizzy, faint, lightheaded, or short of breath.
• Contact your physical immediately if you notice vaginal bleeding, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, or uterine contractions. These symptoms may be signs of a possible pregnancy complication.

Follow a Proper Pregnancy Diet

In addition to following a regular exercise routine, a well-balanced diet can increase your odds of having a fit pregnancy. Pregnant women need about 300 extra calories per day. These calories should come from foods that are rich in calcium, iron, and protein.

While it’s best to get most of your vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat, taking a prenatal vitamin can help ensure that you have a fit pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins also contain folic acid, a supplement which has been proven to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects.

Many doctors advise pregnant women to limit caffeine intake to less than 300 milligrams per day. Caffeine is a stimulant that can raise your heart rate and place unnecessary stress on your growing baby. Water is the best beverage for an expectant mother. Consuming eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day can reduce your risk of constipation, urinary tract infections, and painful pregnancy headaches. Increasing your water intake may even help prevent preterm contractions.