Pregnancy is a stage that is both overwhelming and exciting. Women are used to living lives in a specific way. Fitness is usually the first thing to go. There are several benefits of keeping up with exercise routine in pregnancy for mothers-to-be and most of them have easier births, shorter times in labor and have faster returns.
You don’t have to stop exercising just because you are pregnant. By eating lots of wholesome food items and planning a proper exercise routine, you can easily take care of your health and fitness during this period. Here are some of the diet and exercise tips during pregnancy –
Go through your doctor’s recommendations
Before starting your workout regime, be sure to ask your doctor or gynecologist. Your doctor might have most details of your health issues and any kind of risk associated with you and your child’s health. A qualified professional can be a great asset to a pregnant woman.
Practice caution
If you have been leading an active life until pregnancy, there are chances that you can go with what you are doing. The only condition is not to go too extreme. Even if you don’t exercise, it’s time to start. Your body produces relaxin hormone when you exercise during pregnancy.
It softens ligaments and joints to make the process of delivery easier. Gentle stretching is good after the workout. Watch out for shortness of breath because a new person also needs energy and oxygen inside your body. Just go to the right place.
Stick to your routine
Once your doctor recommends you to exercise, go with your set routine. Around 30 minutes of exercise every day can help reduce body aches and back pain. It also helps improve your posture, sleep and boost your mood. It also promotes muscle strength and tone and helps you deal with labor pain.
Stick to veggies and fruits
It is also very vital for mothers-to-be to eat well to fulfill the needs of their baby and get all vital nutrients. Eat whole grains and bananas as they are enriched with vitamin B6 to promote the formation of red blood cells. Eat sweet potatoes for bone density as they have vitamin A. Eat salmon and spinach to prevent bone loss as they are loaded with calcium.
Go with right exercises
Don’t perform high-risk activities and sports in pregnancy. Contact and extreme sports should be avoided. Delay any exercise which has the risk to fall until childbirth. Don’t do the activity which can be harmful during pregnancy. You just need to perform low-risk, low impact, and non-contact sports, such as swimming, biking, low-impact aerobics, dance, stretches, and yoga.
Stay hydrated
Hydration is even more important when you are pregnant. Drink at least 1 pint of water before workout and 1 cup every 20 minutes while exercising to maintain proper hydration for you and your child. Replenish the lost fluids during exercise, even though you don’t feel thirsty later on.
While exercising, also keep track of your body temperature. Don’t overheat your body which can cause exhaustion. Keep track of room temperature and outside and wear light clothing. Do your moves to cool down later if you feel too hot.
Rest Properly
Sleep can be a great strategy to calm down during pregnancy. Sadly, hormonal fluctuations, stress and anxiety and pain can make it very vital to sleep. So, it is very vital to take quick naps for 20 minutes in a day to maintain energy and recover.