| Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. | | | | and improves emotional health and can make it easier |
| Exercising during pregnancy can have additional | | | | for the new mother to get through the experience of |
| benefits. Generally, exercise should be light, especially | | | | pregnancy. |
| during the first few weeks of pregnancy while your | | | | 3. Exercise can help with weight management after |
| body adjusts to the changes. Heavy exercise can | | | | the child is born. A common concern with most |
| divert blood flow from crucial areas and most women | | | | mothers is losing weight after pregnancy. Exercising |
| that exercise regularly should tone down their | | | | during pregnancy can make postpartum weight loss |
| workouts during pregnancy. | | | | easier. |
| Walking, swimming, and yoga are popular exercise | | | | 4. Exercise is good for your unborn baby. By keeping |
| activities suitable for pregnant women. Other forms of | | | | your body healthy, you are also helping out your baby. |
| exercise like weight lifting are okay too as long as it is | | | | 5. Reduced pregnancy side effects - Symptoms like |
| not too strenuous. Most experts recommend | | | | headaches, fatigue, swelling, and constipation are |
| exercising 3-4 times a week, unless a medical | | | | common in pregnant women. Exercising has been |
| condition prevents it. If in doubt, always consult a | | | | shown to reduce the occurence of these symptoms. |
| physician first. Listed below are some of the top | | | | 6. Decrease risk of premature birth - exercise has |
| reasons for exercising during pregnancy. | | | | been shown in studies to decrease the risk of |
| | | | premature birth by about 50%. |
| 1. Exercise can reduce the length of labor and reduce | | | | Make sure to drink plenty of fluids before exercising, |
| recovery times. The right exercise routines will | | | | have a nutritious diet, and avoid over exertion. Also, |
| increase stamina needed for delivery. | | | | listen to your body - if you start feeling sick or |
| 2. Improve emotional health - exercise lowers stress | | | | nauseous, then you should stop and rest. |