Skip to main content

The Benefits of Prenatal Exercise

There are 2 safety concerns when exercising during pregnancy:
#1. Safety of baby
#2. Safety of mom

Having said that, you are pregnant not SICK! Can Fit Pro guidelines allow 30 minutes of exercise every day as safe in a normal low risk pregnancy. Incorporate both cardio and strength training into your prenatal routine- use alternating days. Perform flexibility exercises every day- as part of your warm up/cool down, or simply on their own as a relaxation and loosening up routine. Do not use pregnancy as an excuse to be sedentary and have a poor diet. Neglecting your fitness will result in a more difficult recovery- physically, mentally and emotionally! However, do not approach pregnancy as a time to "get into shape"- your body will not have the resources to greatly improve your fitness level. Approach pregnancy as an opportunity to maintain your current level of fitness, while gently targeting crucial areas for strengthening to offset your physical discomfort, and to prepare you for labour!

There are MANY advantages to exercising during pregnancy. Here are just a few:

FOR MOM:
1. Although pregnancy is tiring, exercising really will give you more energy!
2. Sweating helps you to eliminate toxins and to reduce swelling.
3. Maintain a positive self image, which has physical, emotional and mental benefits.
4. A healthier pregnancy, strengthening the muscles needed for labor and delivery, which can ease delivery and labor time, and a faster recovery.
5. Alleviates some pregnancy symptoms by developing strength to control proper movements and maintain balance offsets as your baby grows.
6. Improves muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness.
7. Reduces the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
8. Prevents excess weight gain.
9. Improves sleep patterns.
10. Preparing to hold and carry a growing child.
11. Improves appearance and posture.
12. Promotes circulation and stimulating the digestive processes (which help prevent hemorrhoids, constipation, varicose veins, leg cramps and swelling in the ankles).
13. Alleviates some of the discomforts of pregnancy, such as lower back pain.

FOR BABY:

1. Redirecting blood flow to working muscles "trains" your baby to adapt to gentle controlled physical stress, which trains the baby to prepare for the stress of labour.
2. Preparing the fetus to transition to the non-maternal environment.
3. Increasing placental efficiency for blood circulation, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to fetus.
4. Decreasing fetal fat without decreasing overall growth of the fetus.
5. Increasing newborn's readiness to self-calm and self-quiet.
6. Increasing fetal movement.

It is common for women to wait until their 4th month of pregnancy to begin exercising. During the first trimester nausea can be strong, energy levels can be low, and the risk of miscarriage is the highest. If you already subscribe to an exercise program it is recommended that you continue at least a consistent light effort throughout your first trimester; however, you can recommence in Month 4 if you choose to take a break. If you are previously inactive, it is not recommended that you begin a new program until your 4th month; in the first trimester simply walk and stretch. When it IS time to begin prenatal training, whatever the case, find a certified prenatal trainer!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kate's Guide to Getting the Correct Sports Bra!

I wear an unusual size and it took me years to unlock the secrets to bra fitting (and finding!) I suffered for years in improperly fitting bras, and during exercise I would wear 2 or 3 just to get the support I needed.  E very woman needs support while performing sports; not having proper support means that there is extra stress put on the back during various activities. Even low-impact exercise s done without the support of a sports bra can result in strain on the upper back and shoulders that can result in pain or worse- injuries that may develop over time. Sports bras affect a woman’s posture. Exercising without support can result in slouching to prevent painful bouncing which throws the back and hips out of alignment and impedes form, leading to potential injury. The most common mistakes are when women wear a bra that is too small in the cup and too loose around the body for example a 38e instead of a 36f. Note: When you go down a band size, go up a cup! Step 1: T

I don’t have a Diastasis- Why is my abdomen still distended postpartum?

I get asked this question all the time! Here is my answer: Research has shown that 100% of pregnant women will develop some degree of diastasis recti. A diastasis is a lateral separation in the abdominal wall between the recti or “six pack”, due to a stretching of the midline connective tissue or “linea alba”. Although some diastasis will heal postpartum, in many cases a separation will remain without restorative exercise. Distention from DR will present as a doming in the midline. Women who heal a diastasis spontaneously or through restorative exercise may still find that their abdomens are distended, particularly after a meal and/or at the end of the day. If there is no diastasis, why is this? This abdominal distention does not occur in the midline, but rather across the entire abdominal wall. This is due to a weakened hypotonic TVA- transverse abdominis muscle. The TVA is the deepest anterior abdominal muscle, wrapping around the midsection like a girdle, with a left an

BulletProof Coffee

I have a client who regularly makes us a cup of BulletProof coffee before our workouts. I have come to enjoy its flavor. BulletProof Coffee is simply black coffee blended in a blender (not mixed with a spoon), with clarified grass fed butter (Ghee) and a medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil (Coconut oil works). Apparently there are benefits to brain function by blending healthy fats with your morning coffee. Also it has ketonic diet sympathies, as the fasted body in the morning continues burning healthy fat as energy, reducing hunger and helping with weight management. This is my understanding, anyway. I find it tasty and it perks me up :) Interested in making this for myself, I went to Amazon looking for products. Here is what I found- typical of protein powders and health food supplements, I found a lot of packaging and marketing. This BulletProof coffee package which costs $75.99 for coffee and some hyped up coconut oil? Then there is this Ghee at $57.99. As I added thes