Benefits Of Staying Fit While Pregnant
During pregnancy, prenatal fitness should top the list of your concerns, as it influences both, you and the baby significantly. Each pregnancy is different from the other, which also means your second pregnancy might be quite different from the first, Also, there’s no debate on the proven benefits of staying fit during this phase. So here are some top benefits of fitness during pregnancy.
Makes The Experience Better
Staying fit during pregnancy makes the entire experience a lot smoother. It can boost your cardio fitness, making it tolerant of the additional weight and decreasing the oxygenation that happens during pregnancy. In addition, it lowers the risk of other associated health hazards like high blood pressure, diabetes etc.
Helps Manage Weight Gain
While you should gain an appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy, fit and healthy women are more likely to gain less weight, thus managing to stay within the range of healthy weight gain.
Eases Labour And Delivery
Both labour and delivery are very tiring experiences. But the better your fitness is, the more successfully you can sail through the process. For instance, when you have strong abdominal muscles, the chances of requiring an emergency C-section will be lower. In addition, prenatal fitness aids quicker recovery, making it simpler to deal with increased energy needs of the new-born.
Relieves Pregnancy Discomfort And Other Niggles
A fit body improves the strength to stretch your body, helping you cope with discomforts and niggles like heartburn, lower back pain, varicose veins, swollen ankles etc.
Prenatal Fitness Tips
- Before starting any fitness activity, talk to your doctor first, as certain medical conditions like pregnancy-induced hypertension, incompetent cervix, poor foetal growth, etc. may need modifying or avoiding certain exercises
- Always include warm-up and cool-down sessions, before and after your workout regimen
- Drink lots of water before, during and after fitness activities, even if you are not feeling dehydrated, as a rise in core body temperature can trigger foetal defects.
- Stop any activity immediately, if you experience symptoms like vaginal bleeding, chest pain etc.