7 Great Reasons to Exercise While Pregnant

Unfortunately, most pregnant women are scared to exercise because they think they can harm the fetus. Exercising when you are pregnant is actually good for you and your baby, but you should pay attention to what kind of exercise you are going to do. Exercise can reduce high blood pressure, lower your risk of gestational diabetes, control hormones and help you to prepare for labor. But, before starting your fitness program, you should definitely talk to your doctor about exercising during pregnancy and find out all the necessary information and recommendations. Below is the list of some great reasons to exercise when you are pregnant, read on.

1. Strengthen your body and mind

When you exercise, you strengthen your mind and body and prepare your body for labor. A few studies have shown that exercise during pregnancy can reduce the time of labor and delivery. You may have speedy delivery and even speedy recovery thanks to staying fit during pregnancy. So if your doctor recommends you to exercise, what are you waiting for?

2. Boost your baby’s brain activity

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal in 2013 showed that 20 minutes of moderate exercise, 3 times a week, enhances your baby’s brain power. Before this study, people only know that exercise can increase their brain activity, not their baby’s brain. I think this is a critical reason to exercise while pregnancy.

3. Better sleep

If you have trouble sleeping during pregnancy, especially in the last three months of pregnancy, exercise may help you. Don’t worry most pregnant women have sleep problems at some point, not only you. If you find yourself tossing and turning through the night, talk to your doctor and consider exercising every day.

4. Relieve back pain

Back pain during pregnancy is actually a common complaint of almost all pregnant women. There are several things you can do to treat this pain and exercise is one of them. By working out during your pregnancy you can reduce back pain or even eliminate it. To strengthen your core, you can only do the plank. Don’t lie on your back when you exercise, as this lowers blood flow to your baby

5. Reduce your risk of gestational diabetes

Exercising during pregnancy can also reduce your risk of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs when you have a lot of sugar in your blood. To avoid this, make sure you eat healthy and work out on a regular basis. Sure, there are no definite guarantees since gestational diabetes may be a genetic factor. However, you can still lower your risk by keeping your weight under control, exercising, and eating only healthy foods.

6. Help to get back to your pre-pregnancy body faster

Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to get back in your pre-pregnancy body, but if you work out regularly you can watch the number of pounds you gain so that it’s in a healthy range, typically 20 to 40 pounds. So if you exercise during your pregnancy, you might get back to your pre-pregnancy weight much faster.

7. Balance your hormones

Since your hormones change during your pregnancy, don’t wonder if you notice that your emotions are down one moment and up the next. To reduce your mood swings, try exercising regularly. Exercise can help to balance your hormones as well as boost your confidence.

As you can see, exercise isn’t bad for a pregnant woman. Just follow your doctor’s guidelines, listen to your body, and enjoy moderate exercise and don’t forget to drink enough water to stay hydrated. If you are pregnant, do you work out?

Source: http://womanitely.com/great-reasons-exercise-while-pregnant/