Guide to Exercise During Pregnancy

As any soon to be first time mom will tell you, I was terrified of doing everything wrong. I wouldn't go near a hair salon, fearing that just the fumes of the hair dye would cause irreversible damage to my unborn child. I ate everything you were supposed to, stayed away from anything I wasn't and took my prenatal vitamins on a rigorous schedule. I learned many things from that first pregnancy but the best thing I did for myself and my child was exercise. I had always been active before I got pregnant and was worried that I wouldn't be able to continue throughout those nine months. After consulting with my doctor and talking to other women about their experiences I realized not only could I continue, but it was good for both my baby and me!

Exercising during pregnancy is great for many reasons. It helps strengthen all of your muscles especially the ones in your back which will relieve some of that back pain you're bound to experience. It helps with labor as your muscles and heart are strong and can help with the hours long process. It also helps keep the weight off during pregnancy and helps the extra come off even quicker after delivery.

Before you begin any exercise program always, always check with your doctor. You don't want to hurl yourself into training for a marathon if your running sneakers haven't seen the light of day in years. Your body is going through a lot of changes and cannot handle that kind of exercise. Start off slow and ease yourself into exercising again.

One of the easiest and best ways to exercise during pregnancy is walking. You can walk around your neighborhood, a local park, the beach, anywhere you choose. Enlist a friend to join you to make the exercise more enjoyable. Make sure you have comfortable, supporting shoes on and light layers to keep from getting overheated. As with any exercise you do, drink plenty of water and do not push yourself too hard. Your body will tell you what it can handle, listen to it.

Swimming is another excellent source for exercising. If you're having a hard time fitting into your suit there are plenty of cute maternity suits out there. Check with your local maternity store or look on-line. Water distributes your weight evenly alleviating pressure on joints which is a welcome relief to that person growing inside you. Water walking and light aerobic classes are also good ways to get exercise in the pool.

Pilates and yoga are two great exercises to do during pregnancy. They have classes specifically designed for pregnant women. Check your local recreation centers to see if they offer classes. If not, many of the area hospitals or even your personal doctor's office have access to that kind of information. If you prefer to do your exercising at home they make pregnancy tapes of pilates and yoga. Check Ebay or Half.com for great deals on like new tapes at a reduced cost.

One of the greatest helps I used during my pregnancy was my exercise ball. Instead of sitting on the couch when I watched TV, I would sit on the ball. It really strengthened my back and abdominal muscles which, of course, helped during labor. Plus, the ball was one of the suggestions to use during contraction time before active labor began.