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Writer's pictureJessica R.

Top 10 Benefits of Exercises During Pregnancy


It's no secret that exercise is good for you, but did you know that it's also good for your baby? Whether you're a first-time mom or an experienced one, there are many benefits to exercising during pregnancy. In this post, we'll outline the top 10 reasons why it's important to stay active during your pregnancy. Keep reading to learn more!


Improves mood


Many people feel that when they are pregnant, their state of mind is affected in some way. They may feel more emotional or even depressed.

If you feel this way, you are not alone. Feeling emotionally dependent upon someone can be difficult, and many women do not like what it does to them.

However, becoming attached to your baby helps systems in your body function correctly. You're hormone balance changes while you are pregnant, keeping you feeling sleepy and irritable.

Giving birth can make your stress level drop, as can watching your children grow up. But doing exercises every week can help keep these feelings coming along.

These benefits come from exercising both before and during pregnancy. When you're already active before getting pregnant, having a sexless relationship with your partner makes sense.

You will likely have other exercise schedules after you get pregnant, so always make time for yourself.

Builds muscles




Although pregnancy is considered to be a healthy period for reducing weight, that doesn’t mean you have to stop doing exercise throughout your entire pregnancy. It’s one of the best ways to keep yourself in shape during this time

Muscles are often tightly packed with fat during pregnancy, so adding size and strength helps get rid of that excess flesh.

Regular exercises like walking, running, swimming, and yoga can help maintain your fitness level while also providing you with other benefits such as easing stress and helping sleep. [substeps] Start with at least 30 minutes of activity you know you should enjoy seeing how these workouts affect you.

You can break up your daily walks between weekends by choosing a place to go and setting a goal (such as going there every week). Or try taking a weekly class or joining a club related to your favorite sport.

Having a goal set outside of work can make your trip more enjoyable and give you a reason to stay active. Sports teams love participating members who are willing to run out those sweet kicks.

Helps with back or leg pain




Backache is one of the most common complaints of pregnant women. This may be because they feel weightless and stretched like never before. They may also bend down easily, in an attempt to avoid hurting their baby.

Back pains may even cause pregnancy-related stress or anxiety. When asked about how much pain they experienced, many reports feeling too embarrassed to answer.

However, it’s very important to disclose your symptoms to your doctor so that they can help determine what kind of pain relief you can receive. Backaches that are caused by arthritis should be treated.

These days there are lots of ways to treat back pain including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, and opioid pain medications. Before using any of these things, though, doctors will want to know whether you have any underlying conditions causing your pain.

For instance, if you have diabetes, then treating your back pain with opioids could put you at risk for low blood sugar. In this case, talking to your physician would be prudent.

Boosts energy


Although most prenatal visits include some discussion of exercise, it’s not always emphasized. But exercising during pregnancy can help you feel more energetic and capable.

You may be limited to your pre-pregnant workout routine or intensity for fear of hurting the baby, but these exercises can still give you energy. Many yoga classes are taught by experts who know how to modify poses to ensure they're safe.

Weightlifting is another great way to increase strength--and we all need that. The heavier you lift, the harder you work, and the better you will become at it.

Exercise is easy to integrate into your daily life when you do it before getting pregnant. This helps keep you moving and active before you get sick.

Helps with pregnancy weight gain


According to several studies, performing exercises during this month can help women lose weight faster than resting or exercising later in gestation.

Exercise may even help women achieve better prenatal care results. Some studies have shown that exercise while pregnant is related to shorter hospital stays and fewer cesarean section deliveries.

One reason why exercise helps to accelerate fetal growth is that it increases blood flow. When we get more oxygenated blood through greater blood flow, this improves the distribution of nutrients and waste removal from the tissues.

However, despite its benefits, you still shouldn’t try to work out until shortly before your due date if possible. Early in pregnancy, any kind of activity could risk damaging your fetus.

Promotes sleep


Despite having more hours in the day, you’ll probably feel tired at night time during pregnancy. This is because your body is trying to adjust to the new embryo it thinks will become its baby.

Your hormones go up which makes you feel more awake and active.

These same hormones are responsible for nausea you may experience early on in pregnancy. Natural sleep aids like vitamin C can help get you through the first trimester.

In the second trimester, your waist (uterus) grows so this may be uncomfortable. Most women feel better after exercising during the third trimester.

It also helps with morning sickness. For most mothers, just one exercise session per week is enough to reap the benefits.

A study published in Obstetrics & Gynaecology looked at over two hundred pregnant women between sixteen and nineteen weeks of gestation.

They found that regular exercise was associated with less vomiting and gastrointestinal discomfort. Those who exercised were also able to eat slightly more food without feeling poorly nourished.

Relieves stress


Stress is one of the biggest causes of health issues during pregnancy. Your body reacts to stress in ways that can be both positive and negative.

When you are stressed, your muscles get tense and your heart rate increases. You feel more concerned about things than yourself, which is natural when you have something going on that’s outside of yourself.

However, if you have too much pressure or anxiety from work or family matters, then your hormones go up causing you to feel hungry/moody, and tired.

This can cause you to eat unconsciously (you want to avoid eating because of pain) and push you even closer to feeling sick.

The key to stress is to find a way to manage it so that you do not have to cope each day. Do what you can to reduce your stress-get some sleep, take a walk, call a friend – but know this: the best medicine for reducing the effects of stress is time spent with someone you love.

Stress doesn’t just affect your mood, it can also hurt your immune system and contribute to chronic health conditions such as diabetes and obesity. So, try going out for a few hours every week to see if that helps mitigate any symptoms of stress.

Boosts confidence


Many women feel hesitant to go for a walk or to start another exercise routine during pregnancy. The common belief is that exercising while pregnant will make you sick, especially in the late stages.  However, research has shown time and again that regular exercises help increase your body strength as well as lower risks of certain health conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.  Exercise also helps you keep weight off, which is something many women look forward to after giving birth.

Promotes pregnancy health




Although most pregnant women feel tired during their pregnancy, that feeling is much worse when you understand the reason why. Many women don’t realize they are exercising too hard until it is time to stop for the day.

During pregnancy, your heart rate increases, which can put stress on your body. In addition, the fetus also has its heart rate, so even if your exercise sessions are low intensity, your baby is still getting some benefit.

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