Taking care of pregnancy fitness means a happier, healthier pregnancy and also a better birthing experience and easier post natal recovery. So clearly there are a bunch of reasons why exercising through your pregnancy is a good idea.

Here are some points to keep in mind about optimal Pregnancy fitness:

pregnancy-fitness

1. Pregnancy weight gain in necessary – As a society we are scared of putting on weight, but pregnancy is one time when you can and should gain weight. The rule of thumb for women with normal weight before a pregnancy is to put on between 25 and 30 pounds.

However women who were underweight before the pregnancy may gain up to 40 pounds without problems and women who were overweight before pregnancy should restrict the weight gain to 15-25 pounds.

At no point should the weight gain be too quick or too much.

2. Exercise should be strenuous only until a point – For pregnancy fitness, you must exercise, but don’t overdo it. The thing to remember is that if you cannot speak while exercising (if you’re too out of breath), then you’re probably overdoing it and this could be diverting blood from the baby and the placenta.

3. Do exercises that help prepare the body for pregnancy and childbirth – Rather than very strenuous or vigorous exercises, concentrate on the kind of exercises that improve flexibility, balance and strengthen the core muscles. Do exercises such as yoga that improve mind and body fitness, teach you how to breathe, and also enhance flexibility or Pilates that strengthen the core and improve balance.

4. Do not diet – This is another rule for pregnancy fitness. It is best to get into shape before you get pregnant. But if you find that you are overweight at the beginning of the pregnancy you should restrict weight gain rather than try to prevent weight gain by dieting or calorie restriction.

Quite simply pregnancy is a time to eat enough and eat healthy; dieting can wait for another day.

5. Take no medication without clearing it with the doctor – Self medication is always a bad idea and it is particularly bad during pregnancy. You don’t know how a given drug will impact your pregnancy and your unborn baby, so before popping any kind of pill, ask the doc for their OK.

6. Give up smoking before you get pregnant – Smoking is bad for health, and worse for pregnancy. To minimize the possible harmful impacts of smoking on a future baby and to improve pregnancy fitness, give up smoking before you even try to get pregnant.

7. No alcohol in pregnancy – Multiple studies have come to the conclusion that no amount of drinking during pregnancy can be considered safe. Even small amounts could cause problems; particularly in the first trimester, and the consequences could be worse for some because the way in which alcohol could cause harm can vary greatly.

8.If for some reason you cannot exercise, don’t worry about it. Continue to eat healthy to maintain pregnancy fitness and continue to do your Kegel’s exercises even if you are advised against doing anything else.
Read more at http://www.womenhealthzone.com/pregnancy/exercise-and-fitness-pregnancy/pregnancy-fitness/#do4wzb7a94upy0Xe.99