Four good reasons to exercise during pregnancy

We’ve all heard that it’s safe to exercise during pregnancy providing you take the necessary precautions and keep to a program suitable to your personal situation.

But is there any reason to bother? There sure is!

Here are four good reasons to continue – or start! – exercising during your pregnancy:

You’ll run a race – A great deal of my clients who have had natural births describe labour as some sort of full-on, crazy marathon race. The cardiovascular system in full use during a natural labour and it can be a very physical and demanding experience. Keeping up your cardiovascular fitness and strength during your pregnancy can assist some women in enduring their labour.

Ease the stress – Pregnancy can be a stressful period for some women. Exercise is a great way to reduce the stress, calm the mind, help you to relax and provide a mental break. Everyone is different but there’s sure to be an activity that aids you. This maybe walking, a light jog, prenatal yoga, prenatal pilates or a suitable strength program with friends in a group situation, with a personal trainer, or flying solo.

Get back into your skinny jeans quicker – Keeping the exercise momentum rolling during your pregnancy will allow you to get back into your pre-pregnancy shape quicker as you’ve maintained your fitness levels and motivation. It’s so much harder getting back into your exercise regime when you have stopped for a long period of time, so where you can, keep up it up!

Feel good about yourself – For some women while pregnant, hormone changes alone can be brutal but our growing belly and subsequent parts of our body can make us feel pretty crap too. Your self-esteem may end up waning as a result but keeping fit and exercising is a fabulous way to prevent this as you are doing something positive for your overall wellbeing and that of your baby.

As well as lowering stress-levels exercise can also help you achieve a good night’s sleep, pregnant or otherwise!

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