Why Exercise During Your Pregnancy Helps The Birth Process



Posted: Sunday, January 18, 2009

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It is well known that exercise during pregnancy does have a great deal of benefit for you, although it might often be the case that you may well not feel up to doing exercise while your are pregnant. If we are all absolutely honest with ourselves, exercising, even in normal circumstances, is seen as something of a chore.

Despite that, I very much doubt if there are many of us who would not admit to feeling a good deal better after we have pushed ourselves to do some exercise. As with many things in life, it is down to how much motivation we can muster up to get ourselves into gear.

As far as exercise during pregnancy is concerned, it is absolutely essential that you discuss any forms of exercise plans with your doctor or your midwife, before you even think of starting. This is a necessary precaution which you absolutely must take, just in case you have any medical problems which may be affected by exercising.

Having said that, exercising during pregnancy can help you feel much better, a great deal better actually, and will boost your energy levels amongst many other benefits. I believe passionately that regular exercise is essential for everyone to maintain better health, but in the case of pregnancy, there are certainly some unique benefits for the mother to be.

In her case exercising can help relieve backaches, and also can help to strengthen her back and thigh muscles ready for labor. All women can be susceptible to constipation during their pregnancy, and exercise can help reduce this by increasing movement in your intestine and bowel. Exercise during pregnancy will also help you to sleep better at night, as it helps to reduce stress and tension, and obviously it helps to make you tired as well.

During pregnancy, a woman's joints become loosened because of all the hormonal changes in her body. Exercise during pregnancy will help reduce wear and tear on the joints, and exercising will improve the health of her heart, and also strengthen her muscles. This will make the birth that much easier, and her recovery that much quicker.

Exercise can help reduce some of those pregnancy blemishes by increasing the blood flow to your skin, and you will be sure to look radiant. You will not gain as much weight if you exercise during pregnancy, but it is very important not to diet, or be actively trying to lose weight. Exercise also helps you to control your breathing, so if you have a longer birth, then being able to control your breathing better, will help a lot during the birth.

Many women do try and stay as actively fit as they were before they became pregnant, and most of them  find that they are able to continue with their original exercise regime. However, if you did not really exercise much before you became pregnant, it is best to start off gradually and slowly increase your exercising. I stress again that this is after getting the all clear from your health professional of course.

There is a wide range of activities to choose from if you want to exercise during pregnancy. Some women like aqua aerobics, where special classes for pregnant ladies are held, or in many cases, dancing. Most health professionals recommend walking, and it is easy to adjust the distance or the pace or the gradient of the walk, as you become fitter.

Another good form of exercise that is recommended for pregnant women is kegel exercises, or pelvis floor exercises.  These exercises can help reduce incontinence which is very common after childbirth, and the great thing about them is that no one can tell you are doing them.

It is very very important to watch out for any signs that you might be overdoing things. Watch out for symptoms such as dizziness or blurred vision, or any kind of palpitations.  Exercise during pregnancy should be done gradually, and you should avoid any forms of activity where you could injure yourself. I am referring to things such as contact sports, or horseback riding, or such like.

You should always take a bottle of water with you when you are exercising, as it is very easy to become too warm, and overheated

About the Author

Marie Gordon is author and publisher of Your Personal Guide To Childbirth & Pregnancy. For more information on and this superb publication why not visit http://www.childbirthandpregnancy.com

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