When you’re pregnant (and even when you’re not), regularly exercising is so good for you! I encourage all of my mamas to find something active to do while they’re growing their little baby.
There are so many benefits to exercising, including:
– Helps women feel better and enhances emotional well-being
– Great way to help pregnant women avoid gestational diabetes
– Keep blood pressure normal
– Helps build the stamina needed for labor and delivery, and
– Promotes quicker recovery after labor and delivery
From swimming and prenatal yoga to activities such as spinning babies exercises, there is something out there for everyone. If you know me, you know my favorite thing to recommend is going on a brisk walk. While you can walk on a treadmill, there is just something invigorating and refreshing about going outside to get the body moving.
I love walking, because anyone can do it. You don’t need any fancy equipment or have to pay for a membership – all it takes is just leaving the house and starting. You can walk laps around your neighborhood, or find a pretty trail nearby. In the DFW area there are many great places to go so you don’t get bored, and so you can continue to challenge your body with different paths (check out this list here).
While walking includes all the benefits mentioned above, here are a few more:
– Puts minimal stress on your joints
– Is a good cardio and muscle strengthening exercise
– Helps relieve back pain and support the spine
– Helps speed up digestion
– Can tone and train your pelvic floor muscles to carry the weight of the baby, and help them prepare for labor
I encourage you to give walking a try! Start slow with maybe 10-20 minutes a day, and increase from there. Add in some faster paced walking to increase the cardio challenge. And have fun! I know you (and the baby) will be glad you went.
This is not medical advice. When you exercise, pay attention to your body and how you feel.
Don’t overdo it—try to build up your level of fitness gradually.
leave a comment