Exercising During Pregnancy
Exercising during pregnancy is not only safe, it’s often recommended under the eye of a licensed physician. A great exercise to try if you are pregnant is low-impact weight training, which can help build stamina, tone muscles and strengthens your body.
Before beginning any exercise regimen it’s important to speak with your doctor. To avoid injury, forego free weights (which you can lose your grip on) and instead focus on using resistance machines.
Focus on repetitions while weight training - not weight. You don’t want to overdo it while you are pregnant! Once you hit your second and third trimester, sit down while weight training. Standing up can increase the blood flow to your legs and feet (because of your higher blood volume brought on by pregnancy), causing you to feel dizzy and lightheaded.
There are some great exercises you can do at home while you are pregnant. Women’s Health Care Topics has several great weight training exercises you can try if you are serious about exercising during pregnancy.
While there are a number of exercises you can do while pregnant, weight training has been shown to be very effective at increasing stamina and muscle tone - all very important when it’s time to deliver the baby!
Whatever exercise program you choose, please talk to your doctor before beginning or changing any exercise routine.
The Nutrients you Need if you are Planning a Pregnancy
If you are considering starting a family, it’s important to prime your body for this life-changing decision. The food you consume now, even before you are pregnant, will help ensure you are at your nutritional best when you find out you’re expecting.
With that being said, there are several key things to consider before trying to get pregnant. While the American Pregnancy Association recommends giving your newfound diet at least three months to impact your fertility, you don’t necessarily need to worry if you’ve already been actively trying to conceive.
Most people understand that you shouldn’t drink alcohol when you are pregnant. However, it’s almost just as important to limit or cut alcohol out of your diet completely if you are trying to get pregnant.
An occasional drink will probably not negatively impact your fertility, but choosing to drastically reduce or eliminate alcohol from your diet while attempting for a baby is definitely the best choice.
Additionally, you should try to avoid caffeine if you are trying to get pregnant, although studies are inconclusive when it comes to the impact of caffeine on fertility.
If you have a very strong caffeine habit, it’s best to gradually reduce the amount of caffeine you intake daily to avoid nasty caffeine withdrawals while you are planning your pregnancy.
Of course, ensuring you are eating an appropriate and healthy mix of vegetables and fruit will help ensure you are providing yourself (and your future child!) with the nutrient both of you need to thrive. Try to eat a variety of colorful fruits and veggies each day for optimum nutrition.
You may also consider speaking with your doctor about any nutritional deficiencies you have and whether an over the counter multivitamin supplement will benefit you and your quest for a baby. While prenatal vitamins will give you the right dose of nutrients you need, they tend to be more expensive than a general supplement and might cause stomach upset.
Either way, it’s tough to get every nutrient you need if you are planning a pregnancy from food. Multivitamin or prenatal supplements are an invaluable resource for women who are trying to get pregnant.
Implementing dietary changes can be tough if you are used to eating a certain way. By talking with your doctor and introducing healthier foods and vitamin supplements into your daily lifestyle, you are well on your way to priming your body for a baby to be healthy and thrive!
