With three teenagers, having a baby is the last thing on my mind. But with so many women I know around me carrying a child, I was thinking about how differently I might have felt nearly 18, 15 and 13 years ago when I was pregnant if I had been more active.
Exercise may be the last thing on earth you feel like doing when you are pregnant. You may be dealing with nausea and a lack of energy. You may feel big as a house. But many of the aches and pains that come along with pregnancy could be alleviated or reduced by exercising.
Exercise is also good for you when you are pregnant because it helps your body prepare for the labor and delivery by strengthening your muscles. I sure wish I would have done this when I had my children. It just might have made the process a bit easier.
Some of the common problems experienced by pregnant women are constipation and backaches. But these can be significantly helped by exercise.
Exercise is also good for you emotionally when you are pregnant. If you feel stress in general, it can be relieved with exercise.
One of the benefits to exercising while pregnant is that it can help you get back to pre-pregnancy shape much easier and quicker. I remember with my first child putting on way too many pounds. And I wasn’t exercising.
So let’s just say that getting back to where I had been was extremely difficult. Actually, I never did because by the time I was nearing that, I was pregnant again.
Of course, before you implement any kind of exercise program, especially when you are pregnant, you should consult with your doctor. Your doctor may have recommendations on the types of exercises to do. Never start a fitness program without first talking to your doctor.
Related Articles:
Fitness in Your 20’s
http://fitness.families.com/blog/fitness-in-your-20s
Fitness in Your 30’s
http://fitness.families.com/blog/fitness-in-your-30s
Family Fitness with Your Toddler
http://fitness.families.com/blog/family-fitness-with-your-toddler
Photo by David Levy in Wikimedia Commons