Five benefits of exercise during pregnancy

We can’t stress enough how exercise is important for expectant mothers and practically everyone in general.

Doctors always recommend that we exercise regularly in order to maintain our bodies. The benefits of being physically active and keeping fit even go as far as improving both physical and mental health, especially for expectant women.

Many people like to assume that pregnant women have to spend most of their time sleeping, lying down and being as inactive as possible. The myth that being active can hinder the development of a healthy baby has been debunked for a long time now.

Doing strenuous activities can cause some problems, but  some activities such as taking walks, swimming and low impact work outs actually benefit both the mother and child.

With that in mind, here are some of the amazing benefits of exercising while carrying a pregnancy.

During pregnancy, your body has to support more weight in addition to your own weight. As the baby develops inside the womb, they grow and increase in size. The effects of this is back pain and soreness on different parts of the body.

Specific exercises for pregnant women have been designed to help stretch the back muscles and ease the back pains that usually occur. They also help you maintain good posture by straightening the spine. Look for some exercises, even online, in order to help ease and strengthen your back.

Doing workouts and getting into a routine benefits you psychologically. People who suffer from anxiety or depression report an improvement in their mood when they start being consistent with their work outs.

Pregnancy hormones and daily stresses can often lead to depression and anxiety issues. When these are not kept in check, they can have dire consequences, even for the baby. It’s, therefore, important to do daily exercises, if you can, in order to help boost your mood as well as self-image and self- esteem.

Pregnancy exercise has so many amazing benefits for the baby. When you work out, blood flow increases, which in turn increases the chances of a healthy delivery. At times, pregnant women don’t always maintain healthy diets. There are many cravings that come with it, causing you to gain unhealthy weight which isn’t good for the baby.

In such instances, the baby can end up being larger than usual in a condition called Macrosomia. When the mother doesn’t exercise regularly to keep her weight gain in check, such complications could occur.

Also, exercising reduces pregnancy risks by helping you stay healthy. Some of the complications pregnant women go through include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and hypertension. All these conditions are dangerous because they can increase the chances of a miscarriage, or even stillbirth. It’s, therefore, essential for an expectant mother to take care of herself because whatever she does has a direct effect on her baby.

So many women are afraid of the weight gain and other factors that come with pregnancy. The good news is that you can accelerate the recovery process by being prepared for it while you’re still pregnant. Adding workouts to your daily routine can significantly pay off once the baby is born.

Your body will thank you by responding better to diets, post-delivery workouts and other recovery processes. Since it also has many mental health benefits, your self-image will be at a better place, so recovery will be much easier mentally as well.

One of the common side effects of pregnancy hormones, such as progesterone, is bloating as well as constipation. These hormones can sometimes hinder proper digestion, which is definitely uncomfortable. With these pregnancy exercises, your digestion improves significantly and your bowel movements are less hindered.