Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why it is important to workout during your pregnancy?
I know for me the thought never crossed my mind, even though I was encouraged from the start to keep doing what I had been doing before I found out that I was pregnant. But no one really explained why including my doctors.
To be honest, I struggled to workout consistently throughout the first trimester of my pregnancy. I tried, believe me, but working out with morning sickness was not something that my body could handle. When I tried to workout during the first trimester, it made my nausea 100 times worse.
I beat myself up for not sticking to my normal routine because after all I was told to keep lifting weights. I even find myself from time to time still beating myself up for not keeping my normal routine, especially now that COVID-19 has closed all of the gyms. But like my husband keeps reminding me… I was absolutely miserable during my first trimester with no energy whatsoever, and pushing myself to keep my normal routine would have just made me even more miserable.
Since my second trimester, I have worked hard to get back to being active. I walk at least 30 minutes a day, although I prefer to walk much more often than that. I also strength train at least 3 times a week. Considering my pregnancy guide was made for the gym, I had to make a lot of modifications so that I could do the guide from the safety of my home. I have limited equipment, so it is a lot of body weight and resistance band training with a few dumbbell exercises here and there.
But why am I making sure I stay this active now that the morning sickness is gone, besides being told that is what I need to do.
After a little research of my own, here is why it is important to exercise throughout your pregnancy.
- Reduce risk of pregnancy complications– women who workout are less likely to develop gestational diabetes. They are also less likely to have unplanned C-Sections.
- Lower odds of delivery complications– women who exercise at least 3 times a week experience less weight gain during pregnancy. They are also less likely to have oversized babies at birth leading to an overall healthier baby, which is important for mom and baby during delivery.
- Speedy post-delivery recovery– staying fit during pregnancy, keeps you in better physical shape after pregnancy. You will get your pre-baby routine back a lot quicker.
- Mood Booster– this is true before, during, and after pregnancy. With pregnancy it helps prevent depression, anxiety, and stress pertaining to the pregnancy.
- Lower blood pressure– blood pressure often goes up during pregnancy, but keeping an active routine can keep your blood pressure from rising.
- Helps with back and pelvic pain- we all know that growing a baby increases pressure on your lower back and pelvis. Exercising may actually help decrease the lower back and pelvis pain during late pregnancy.
- Helps fight fatigue– resting too much can actually increase your body overall tiredness, which is why exercising helps prevent this.
- Improves sleep– women who exercise while pregnant say it improves their overall quality of sleep and they wake up feeling more rested.
- Relieves constipation– staying active encourages active bowel movements. Walking at least 30 minutes a day can help a woman stay regular.
It is important to remember that all women are different and experience pregnancy differently. Just because exercise works for one person, does not necessarily mean it will work for everyone. I know for me, personally, I feel 100 times better when I am staying active. There is so much that you cannot control when it comes to your pregnancy, so for me it is important to control what I can. Always check with your doctor before you start a new exercise routine.
Information sourced from http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnanccy/exercise-benefits
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