Benefits of Staying Active During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey towards motherhood, but many women face a lot of health issues during pregnancy, apart from weight gain. Gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, iron deficiency anemia-these are some of the most commonly faced health issues during pregnancy. Many women also don’t like that shift from their active life to the lesser active, more restful period of their lives. Hence, one of the most common questions which arise in the minds of new mothers is that is exercise during pregnancy safe? To put your mind at ease, in most cases, exercise is safe during pregnancy and is even recommended by obstetricians.

Essentially, the basic rule is that if you were physically active before you were pregnant, it is likely safe to remain active during pregnancy. It is also most likely that your obstetrician would advise you to continue to remain active, as long as it is comfortable and there are no other health conditions which should prevent you from doing so. But it is equally imperative to remember that now is not the time to exercise for weight loss, yet proper exercise during pregnancy will help with weight loss after the delivery of your baby. Keep in mind that exercise does not really put your pregnancy at risk for miscarriage if done the right way.

Here are some benefits of staying active during pregnancy:

• Regular and light exercises can help reduce backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling.
• Staying active may also help prevent gestational diabetes, and in some cases, may also help treat it.
• As is always said, exercising increases your energy, improves your mood and improves your posture too.
• Remaining active stimulates your endurance and strength, and helps you get better sleep.
• Frequent activity helps keep you fit during pregnancy and has been known to improve the mother’s ability to cope with labour. It would make it less challenging for you to get back in shape after the baby is here.

While exercising can be very beneficial during pregnancy, there are several types of exercises you must avoid:

• Activities where falling is more likely
• Exercises that may cause any abdominal trauma, including activities that with jarring motions, contact sports or rapid changes in direction
• High-intensity activities such as jumping, hopping, skipping or bouncing
• Waist twisting movements while standing
• Sudden intense exercise after a long break from exercising
• Exercising in hot or humid temperature
• Do not exercise to the point of exhaustion
• Exercises that might interrupt your normal breathing patterns

Apart from exercising, a rich diet supplemented by a good prenatal multivitamin for women is known to be very beneficial during pregnancy. You need to keep in mind that good nutritional intake is vital throughout pregnancy. Pregnacare is one of the most popular and trusted prenatal supplements all across the world. All the essential nutrients you require throughout pregnancy such as folic acid (that plays a crucial role during the entire healthy pregnancy contributing to normal blood formation), can be gained from this multivitamin. However, it is strongly recommended that you must consult your doctor before beginning any prenatal multivitamin supplements.