The 10 Most Important Pregnancy Exercise Tips You Will Ever Read
September 20, 2008
1. Pregnancy Exercise- How Much is Too Much?
Pregnant women have often asked me if its safe to exercise during their pregnancy, and if so, how much is too much? As long as you have the go ahead from your doctor (meaning you have a healthy, normal pregnancy), you can do most of the things you did prior to getting pregnant. The only exercises to avoid are where you could fall and potentially harm your baby (i.e., such as rollerblading, riding a bike, skiing, etc.). Be sure to listen to your body. If you ever feel light headed, dizzy, or out of breath, stop what you are doing, sit down and drink water. If you are listening to your body you will probably not get to that point. Just think of all the benefits of exercising more energy, healthy weight gain, better sleep, and youll lose the baby weight so much faster!
2. Pregnancy Exercise- Weight Training
Ive been asked several times if its ok to lift weights when youre pregnant. As long as you have given approval to workout by your doctor you can continue the exercises you did prior to getting pregnant. Of course, you should refrain from lifting heavy weight. Be sure to listen to your body. If anything ever feels uncomfortable stop what you are doing.
Heres a great exercise to tone your shoulders: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, pelvis tucked under, and chest and head lifted. Place one weight in each hand and rest them with your arms straight on your upper thighs. Keeping your arms straight (only a slight bend in the elbow), lift your arms up so your arms are parallel with the ground and your wrists are even with your shoulders. For best results use 2-3 lb. weights and work up to 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps.
3. Pregnancy- Emotions You Experience First Trimester
When youre pregnant youre likely to experience all kinds of emotions, especially as your belly grows. In the beginning you may experience fear- Will the baby be ok? Will I be a good mother?, you may also experience excitement and joy, or regret that it happened too soon. Whatever you are experiencing, you are not alone. I highly recommend that you join a support group of new moms so you can share your experiences and feel supported along the way.
4. Pregnancy Nutrition- Feed Your Baby
So many pregnant women are concerned that theyre going to gain a bunch of weight and never lose it. Some even count calories. This is not the time to diet. The key is to focus on nourishing your baby and yourself. Visualize your beautiful, healthy baby in your arms. The food that you eat goes to your baby and will help him or her grow, so eat when you are hungry and chose foods like whole grain breads, cereals, pastas, fruit, and greens.
5. Pregnancy Exercise- Firm Your Buttocks
Who says you cant tone your booty when youre pregnant? Heres a simple exercise you can do to firm your buttocks. Standing hold onto the back of a chair. Extend your right leg straight back behind you- your right toe is pointed and touching the ground. Inhale then exhale lift your right leg up straight as high as you can without leaning foward. As you lift your leg tighten your buttocks. Work up to 3 sets on each side-10 slow lifts, 10 pulses, 10 slow lifts.
6. Pregnancy- Eat Healthy Snacks
When youre pregnant there may be times when you ate a couple of hours ago and youre hungry again. Listen to your body and EAT! Just chose healthy snack foods like a few handfuls of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, or carrots, or grapes with cheese. When you listen to your body, youre nourishing yourself and your baby and that means youll have more energy, better mood, and youll lose the baby weight quicker.
7. Pregnancy Exercise- Tone Your Thighs
Heres a simple pregnancy exercise you can do to tone your quads (top of thigh) and inner thighs. I call the exercise Squat and Sweep. How to do the move: Hold onto the back of a chair with your feet approximately 3-4 feet apart and your toes slightly turned forward. Bend your knees into a pilee squat (make sure your knees never go over your toe) and keep your back straight, head lifted. As you press back to stand bring your weight towards your left leg and slide your right foot on the ground (i.e. sweep) so it crosses over your left supporting leg. Next sweep your right foot back into a pilee squat. As you press to stand, sweep your left foot across your right leg. Repeat 10-20 reps each side.
8. Pregnancy Nutrition- Fuel Your Body!
When youre pregnant its really important that you focus on nourishing yourself and your baby. When you listen to your body and eat healthy food theres no need to worry about gaining excess weight thats hard to lose. Always bring healthy snacks with you to avoid getting over-hungry. My favorite on the go prego snacks include: nuts, raisins, (walnuts and raisins together are yummy!), granola bar, and string cheese.
9. Pregnancy Exercise-Swimming
When its summer, its hot and its the perfect excuse for pregnant women to be in the pool! Swimming is great for pregnant women because youll feel light and bouyant. Try this simple exercise to tone your inner and outer thighs. Standing in the shallow end step or lightly jump your feet apart then bring your feet back together. Work up to 3 sets of 15-20 reps. In between sets walk from one side to the other.
10. Pregnancy- Calming Your Fears About Having a Second Baby
When you get pregnant the second time you may wonder, How will I take care of two when one child is already challenging? or How will I be able to spend time with my first child? or Will I love this baby as much as the first? As a mom of two I can tell you that I had these same fears. However, after having my second baby everything was soooooooooooo much easier! Because you have the experience of having a baby before, youre more relaxed and thus enjoy each phase. Yes, even the sleepless nights went faster because I was more relaxed and I knew it was only temporary. The first child still gets plenty of attention and learns how to share and take care of another person he or she loves. And as far as loving your second child as much, not even question of who I love more, theres plenty of room in a moms heart. From a mom who was unsure about making the step to have two, I have to say it was one of the best decisions Ive ever made.
My name is Sara Holliday, and I have created a line of fitness DVDs for pregnant woman. You will learn all about pregnancy yoga, and how to do a proper pregnancy workout.
I have created two new mom networks. The first is on Facebook called Ahhhh New Moms. Feel free to join me, and all New Moms On this Facebook group. I also created, Wanna Be a Fit Momma? on MySpace. Join by clicking here: Fit Momma.
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