5 Reasons Why You Should Exercise During Your Pregnancy
Exercise. For most of us, it’s the last thing you want to be doing in the midst of pregnancy (am I right?!). Your body is noticeably heavier, sore in places you didn’t know could be sore and that baby is sucking the life out of you - you’re tired. So tired. And despite all that, I’m going to tell you to keep up with an exercise program? You betcha . And with good reason. So before you trade this post for Netflix and chill (in the literal form), hear me out. Because I’ve got 5 good reasons why exercising during your pregnancy is worth your while.
#1: Helps Manage Weight
I’ll preface this by saying you are absolutely supposed to gain weight during your pregnancy. Duh. It would be concerning if you didn’t. With that said, getting your sweat on several times a week will prevent excess weight gain while helping you maintain your overall shape and muscle tone.
#2: Positive Body Image
As the old saying goes when you look better, you feel better. There are two types of women. The women who love their new pregnant bodies and the women who - well - just don’t. Exercise has been proven to foster positive body image and while both groups of women can benefit from positive body image, what better remedy for the latter group than to combat the pregnant body blues?
#3: (Mega) Labour Benefits
Studies have found that pregnant women who maintained a prenatal fitness program experienced shorter labours and fewer medical interventions. I don’t know about you but, to me, those selling features are worth their weight in gold. Exploring this point in a little more detail, there are added benefits such as improved mental stamina and physical endurance which, again, pay off big time during birth.
Mental Stamina
Out of all the benefits of exercising during your pregnancy this, to me, is numero uno . The biggie. Exercising during your pregnancy with push you out of your comfort zone. It will tire you. You’ll want to give up and call it a day. Drawing any parallels here? You guessed it. Birth will push all of these same buttons. Consistently pushing and challenging yourself physically during your pregnancy strengthens your mental stamina - paving the way for when it comes time to birth. You’ll see the wall. You’ll hit the wall. And drawing on your training, you’ll know how to dig deep and push through.
Physical Endurance
Birth is a long, physical process. I really believe that being in decent shape when you head into your birth prevents you from tiring early. It’s a marathon, ladies! And you wouldn’t show up to a marathon without having done any training beforehand, would ya?
#4: Release the Endorphins
Prenatal mood disorders are alive and well, my friends. Preliminary research shows that 1 in 7 women will experience some sort of prenatal mood disorder during their pregnancies. For some of these women, exercise will play a huge part in their ability to manage their mood. Exercise boosts endorphins (which promote that feeling of general happiness) for 2 to 3 hours after about 20 minutes of heart pumping action. A pretty good return on investment.
(For others of you who are experiencing pre/perinatal mood disorders, please reach out to your doctor or midwife. And if you aren’t sure where to start, send me a message and I can walk you through the steps).
#5: Keeps the Aches + Pains Away
Keeping your body moving helps to keep it limber. I’m not talking about ballerina limber, I’m talking about being able to sit criss-cross-apple-sauce or bend over to pick up the Timbit that dropped on the floor. Basics. Keeping your body limber prevents it from seizing and tightening up (good-bye aches and pains). It has been associated with fewer backaches - a common foe of the pregnant woman.
Have I warmed you up a little bit to the thought of continuing (or even starting) an exercise program during your pregnancy? Remember: short term pain equals long term gain - for your body and your birth. Shoot me a message if you’re looking for recommendations for specific prenatal fitness programs or if you’d to hear my recommendations on local prenatal fitness classes.
Disclaimer: all pregnant women should get clearance from their doctor or care provider before starting a new exercise program.