How to Stay Fit & Active During Pregnancy

When I was pregnant with my son, I found that I became less fit as the pregnancy wore on. It was quite easy to stick with the workout regimen I had before I became pregnant, however after about three months into the pregnancy I found that morning sickness and those hormonal changes the body naturally goes through dictated my daily routine. However, there are some great things that moms can do to make sure that she is in tip top shape during pregnancy.

CONSULT WITH A PHYSICIAN:

The body goes through so many changes during pregnancy that it's very important that if one chooses to workout or take up any new activities (like pregnancy yoga, or swimming), to consult your family physician to make sure that it's healthy for both mom and baby.

DO NOT INTRODUCE A NEW WORKOUT PROGRAM:

For those who normally jog, do aerobics, bike, pilates and the like before pregnancy, then it is safe to continue well into the later part of the pregnancy because the body (muscles)is use to this. However, it is important to take it down a notch, listen to your body and don't over exert the body (muscles).

TAKE WALKS:

Morning or evening walks are a great way to relax the body and increase circulation. More so, it increases the progesterone levels during pregnancy which is very important for the development of the baby throughout the pregnancy.

SLEEP:

If there are other children in the household it is very easy to lose sleep or skip naps, however, rest is also very important to the growth and development of the baby. Rest is very important to a pregnant mom's health, for a time the baby will get what he or she needs from the mom, thus over time loss of sleep can be unhealthy for both mom and baby.

FLUIDS:

A consumption of approximately three to four liters of water daily is very healthy for both mom and baby, otherwise this can put the pregnancy at risk. Early contraction is a possibility.

BALANCED DIET & VITAMINS:

It is not only necessary to maintain a balanced diet but to also eat a variety of foods, because the baby is growing and developing so quickly that this takes a lot out of the mom. This is not about increasing the amount of food in your daily diet, but maintaining a balanced diet which is critical to the development of the baby.