Best Fitness Workouts For Future Mommies

If you’re trying to conceive or if you’ve just found out that you’re pregnant, the chances are that you’ve got a shelf full of books to guide you through what you can and can’t do during your pregnancy. Indeed, pregnant women need to pay special attention to their diet and lifestyle, as their choices could have a dramatic impact on their future babies. For instance, every woman knows that alcoholic drinks are a no-no during pregnancy as it could increase the risk of premature births, stillbirths, and health complications. Pregnancy is described as one of the most sensitive and important times in your life. Therefore, it’s only natural that you need to take extra care. Expecting mothers have to develop safe habits in their everyday life.

High-mercury fish such as swordfish and Albacore Tuna can be toxic to your immune system and your baby.

However, it doesn’t mean that fish is unhealthy. On the contrary, fish is highly recommended as long as you pick a safe option. Additionally, sushi lovers need to refrain from eating raw and undercooked fish as it makes them susceptible to listeria infections. Raw food in general, meat, eggs, and even sprouts, can be a source of infections too and should be avoided at all cost. Finally, cheese addicts have to become choosy, as unpasteurized dairy products are prone to bacterial contamination. 

In other words, pregnant women learn very early that their body becomes more vulnerable to infections. They have to be careful for the sake of their baby. Unfortunately, the policy of extra care tends to take over your life. It’s not uncommon for expecting mothers to reduce their levels of activities in an effort to reduce risks for the baby. However, you can’t afford to sit down and rest when you’re having a baby. Future mommies need to keep their body active and strong. Idle pregnancies are at risk of developing health complications for both the mother and the child. 

Staying healthy as a mom

Motherhood is exhausting at the best of times. However, every mom knows that they can’t afford to neglect their health. Ultimately, you can’t be a good mom if you don’t look after yourself in the first place. Sticking to healthy habits, such as choosing nutritious food and staying hydrating can make a significant difference. Getting as little as 30 minutes of exercise every day – which you can get by walking the kids to school or signing up to your local gym – is all you need to boost your immune system. 

But while mommies try to stay active as part of a healthy lifestyle, how many remember that fitness should play a significant role before and during the pregnancy? The answer, as it happens, is that not enough pregnant women are keeping up with their exercise routine. However, working out can bring tremendous advantages by preparing your body. Indeed, after all, going into labor is no easy task. The stronger your body is, the more likely you are to be able to go your pregnancy without health complications. As a rule of thumb, staying on top of your fitness regime will make the labor process smoother and easier for you. Additionally, if you’re trying to conceive, your fitness routine can also increase your chances to get pregnant. 

Swimming can prevent morning sickness

During the first trimester of your pregnancy, morning sickness is going to be a difficult issue to manage. While it doesn’t affect all pregnant women, morning sickness is a familiar complaint about up to 80% of expecting mothers. In other words, nausea and vomiting might well become a haunting presence during the first three months of your pregnancy. But what you may not know if that swimming can provide fantastic relief. Indeed, if you’re at a point of considering home improvement projects, you may want to get your own swimming pool. You can also find modern residential and industrial pumps that can keep your water clear and cool during the hottest months of the year, keeping you comfortable. Swimming is a gentle activity, which means that if you’re worried about high impact sports, you can feel safe in the knowledge that you don’t need to be fit to swim every day. Additionally, you can keep the same routine throughout your pregnancy; water sports such as swimming or stretching in the pool can even help to relieve back pains during the last trimester.

Yoga is perfect for stretching and relieving tensions

Pregnancy puts your body through a lot of pressure. For many women, it’s an uncomfortable period during which they can’t recognize their bodies. It can be challenging to keep going to the gym and go back to your usual workout routine when you need to maneuver your bump! Besides, even healthy women can struggle with pregnancy blood pressure, fatigue, and soreness. Therefore, you may want to look for an activity that can soothe your pain and help you to stay active without exhausting you. Pregnancy yoga workouts can be the right thing for you! You can use yoga throughout your pregnancy to maintain your strength and flexibility through gentle and adaptable workouts. Additionally, you’ll be able to exercise and target minor muscle groups, which can be more difficult to reach otherwise. Yoga practice can significantly ease labor pain and process as well, as your body is prepared for the delivery. One noticeable advantage of yoga is that it encourages you to control your breathing, which is useful to master when you go into labor!

Forget what you’ve heard, lifting weights is good for you

Weight lifting during pregnancy? If you’ve heard that pregnant women shouldn’t lift anything heavy, you might be worried about weight workouts. The truth is that you can lift safely as an expecting mother, as long as you know what you’re doing. Ideally, you can also work with a trained coach who can help you to go through the movement effectively. Weight machines are also ideal as they control the range of motion, reducing the risk of injuries. Why should you lift? You can use a weight workout to strengthen your muscles and reduce pain. Indeed, a seated cable row machine, for instance, lets you target the muscles between your shoulder blades, reducing the typical pregnancy slump as your breasts get bigger. Seated leg-curl machines are perfect to work out your megs and bear the weight of the pregnancy. You can even use a plank exercise to keep your abs strong and reduce back pain. 

Easy workout you can do anywhere: Walking

It doesn’t matter as fit you are; everybody can walk. Walking is not only a fantastic way of staying active while you’re pregnant, but it can also help you to destress at the end of the day. Ultimately, your pregnancy is going to be a stressful time because your body goes through many transformations and sensations that you have never experienced before. Even if you’re healthy, there will be moments when you will wonder whether this or that was normal. Besides, your hormones are likely to cause mood swings. Walking will help to release endorphins and create a feel-good sensation. Additionally, regular walking helps to increase your hip flexibility, will boost your chances of normal delivery. More importantly, pregnant women who walk keep their weight under control.

The myth about high impact sports: Running is safe

Should you cancel your subscription to your favorite running app when you’re pregnant? There’s technically nothing that should stop you from hitting the road during your pregnancy. Exercising is highly recommended, and if you’re an experienced runner, you can certainly squeeze in a 20 to 30 minute run each day. Ultimately, exercising reduces the risk of gestational diabetes and preterm birth and high blood pressure. However, running can become challenging during your pregnancy, depending on your fitness levels. If you were not a runner before getting pregnant, you should probably consider other activities first as it will be a hard time to start! One word of warning for pregnancy with complications such as bleeding and blood pressure as running can prove risky in your condition. 

What activities are not recommended?

There is no denying that not all activities are suitable for pregnant women. Anything that can involve a sudden collision, such as climbing or acrobatics, should be avoided at all costs. Additionally, now is probably not the time to take on new activities as your body is already trying to learn how to function while growing a baby. However, there is nothing that should stop you from doing what you love. Whether you’re an enthusiastic dancer or a martial arts addict, there are no contraindications for pregnant women as long as you avoid any combat activities. 

No pregnant woman should stay idle unless her doctor advised her to do so. Indeed, you need to keep fit during your pregnancy as your baby’s life depends on it. A healthy mommy is more likely to experience easier and faster labor and to recover quickly. The best workout you can pick is something you enjoy doing, whether it’s swimming, walking or even dancing. However, you should also check with your family doctor first!

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