Who says you can’t look and feel good while being pregnant?
Ok, you might be experiencing nausea, vomiting, sore breasts, spotting, and complete exhaustion. But the good news is, most symptoms do get better and you can get back into a workout routine!
I LOVE teaching prenatal fitness classes and being totally honest with my participants on what it is like to be pregnant and the symptoms they may or may not experience. A lot of women keep that information to themselves and aren’t honest when they describe their pregnancy experience! So, in my class, I try to educate my women and make them feel less worried about being pregnant. All while teaching them safe exercises to do with pregnant and post-baby!
Since our bodies change throughout our pregnancy, so should our workout routines. Our prenatal fitness classes focus on light cardio, strength training, core/pelvic floor exercises, and relaxation breathing to help get your body ready for labor and recovery post baby. You will learn safe and effective exercises in each class, modifications will be given based on the participant’s fitness level.
Things to consider before and while exercising:
- Consult your health care provider before you exercise. You will need your health care provider to fill out the PARmed – X for Pregnancy form before you participate in an exercise program.
- Stay hydrated to prevent overheating
- Wear comfortable and loose fitting clothing to help regulate your body temperate while you workout
- Wear comfortable and appropriate exercise footwear
- Be aware that you might feel off balance while exercising due to the change of your center of gravity while pregnant
Research has shown that healthy eating and exercising while pregnant has many benefits to both mom and baby. Such benefits are lowering risk of gestational diabetes, less complicated labor, minimizing weight gain, reducing back pain, improving self-image, reducing stress, increasing energy levels and faster recovery time. Also, developing babies have been shown to have more efficient hearts, and babies are less likely to be colic.
It is recommended that pregnant women, who are not experiencing any complications, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 3-4 days per week at a moderate intensity. Different forms of exercise include: low-impact aerobics, swimming, walking, weight lifting
When to stop exercising and contact your health care provider:
- Spotting or bleeding occur
- Decreased fetal movement
- Uterine contractions
- Feeling of dizziness
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
Staying physically active during pregnancy is very important for mom and baby. As long as the right precautions are taken, so get out there and get your sweat on mamas!
About the author
Momentum Health and Wellness is an Edmonton based company that is devoted to inspire and educate health and wellness to prenatal/postnatal women and families. We want to create a community where people feel motivated to share their fitness stories and to encourage one another to be positive role models to their children and families. We are committed to educate and provide the necessary support and resources to our clients as they embark on their fitness and wellness journey.
www.momentumhealthandwellness.ca