Exercising and keeping fit during pregnancy has several advantages. It will give you greater strength and stamina to cope with labour, you will have more energy to handle the broken sleep patterns and the constant attention the baby requires and also your body will get back to its pre-pregnant state quicker and easier than if you have not been doing any exercise.

As with any new exercise routine, always check with your doctor whether it’s safe to undertake the exercise, even if you have been exercising prior to getting pregnant. Also if you frequent a gym then remember to let them know you are pregnant.

The chances are you will just need to reduce the level and intensity of the exercise you did before. If you have previously had a sedentary lifestyle and haven’t done much exercise then it is always best to start off gently and build up from there.

In terms of exercises you might like to try when pregnant then swimming and walking are ideal. If you attend a gym then using the exercise bike or cross trainer should be fine. They may also run some exercise classes specifically for pregnant women such as aqua-natal classes or prenatal aerobics. Anything that gently increases your heart rate and doesn’t put too much strain on your muscles and joints will normally be OK.

Make sure you build warm up cool down sessions into your workout. This is something that not everyone does when they hit the gym but it is a must do once your pregnant.

Any exercise where you could have an accident, such as riding a bike, or where you could fall and injure yourself must be avoided. Steer clear of exercises that are high-impact or place stress on your joints. Contact sports and racket sports are also no go sports.

Whatever exercise you choose to do you must stop immediately if you start to overheat, feel breathless or start to feel feint or light headed. Over doing it is not good at the best of times so keep it low intensity and exercise a several times a week rather than going flat out.

You will gradually need to reduce the level of exercise as the number of weeks you are pregnant increases. As the due date draws closer, the chances are that you won’t feel like doing any exercise anyway so listen to your body and follow what it is telling you to do.

Finally, don’t forget pelvic floor exercises. Pelvic floor exercises strengthen the muscles around the bladder, bowl and the womb. All of which get stretched during pregnancy. You need to try and tighten the muscles around the vagina and back passage by squeezing the muscles as if you are stopping yourself passing water and wind at the same time.

As with any exercise, repetition is the key. Slow contractions increase the strength of your pelvic floor. Try contracting muscles for around ten seconds then relaxing for ten seconds before you repeat the exercise.
Faster contractions help you cope with pressure, such as when you cough or sneeze. Only hold the contraction for a few seconds and relax for a few seconds before you repeat the exercise.

Author Bio: Carl Fletcher writes for Bumfluff Babies, the number one online retailer of cloth nappies, organic baby clothing and baby gifts.

Category: Womens Interest
Keywords: pregnancy, exercise during pregnancy, pelvic floor exercises, bumfluff babies