Exercise is needed at all stages of your life to provide a healthy mind and fit body. Once you commit to working out, it is not a temporary fix, It’s a lifestyle change. Being pregnant makes no exceptions. If anything, you should be more committed than before since you are now working out to keep your body fit not only for yourself, but also for your baby.
If you have the time, most hospitals and some gyms offer workout classes specifically for pregnancy. If you don’t have the time, or simply prefer doing it on your own, there are many DVD workouts you can invest on and even some free YouTube videos you can check out. One video I found to be very helpful and and great for all trimesters is a prenatal yoga routine which I have shared below.
Prenatal yoga is a great workout for pregnancy because it focuses on stretching and breathing, as well as keeping your body toned and strong for delivery. Breathing is an important part of giving birth, even though it might be forgotten when you are trying to push something out of your body. That is the reason why daily yoga has great benefits towards an easier delivery and recovery. It focuses on teaching you to relax and breathe, and also helps keep your back, thighs and legs strong. Another plus about yoga, are kegels.
Kegels are floor exercises in which you contract then relax your pelvic muscles to improve muscle tone by strengthening muscles in your pelvis. And as we all know, a strong pelvis is an advantage during delivery. The yoga video above has you do a few kegel exercises, but you can also do them on your own anytime, anywhere. While you are driving, sitting, working. You are pretty much contracting your pelvis muscle upwards and holding for a few seconds, then releasing. Kegels won’t just help during delivery, but also during recovery.
Walking is another recommended activity during pregnancy. If you have a treadmill, use it. If you don’t, take daily walks around your neighborhood or a nearby park. Walking is an easy and helpful workout during pregnancy, because it keeps you active and keeps your leg/thigh muscles working. Another alternative you can try, is using a stationary bike or an elliptical.
As mentioned, you can also buy some DVD’s specifically for pregnancy. Below are a few you can try.
One awesomely priced DVD I purchased and recommend is”Pregnancy fitness” by Linday Brin. You might have heard of Lindsay who is the owner of mom’s into fitness, a website dedicated to fit moms pre and post delivery. Check out her site here -> Moms into Fitness
The reason I recommend the above DVD by Lindsay Brin, is due to its price and the fact it is a 4 DVD set. It includes workouts specifically tailored for first, second and third trimester, and a postnatal bootcamp I cannot wait to try. You get all of this for under $10, cannot be beat! Buy Lindsay Brin’s Pregnancy Fitness DVD here!
Another workout which is very helpful during pregnancy is Pilates. YouTube once again offers a few options, but i found the one below to be my favorite. It is broken up into 10 minute sessions, which makes it easy to do on anyone’s schedule. Pilates help keep your body strength during pregnancy and are said to help ease your time in labor. They focus on keeping you fit, through stretching, and moves to give your full body a workout.
Health and exercise during pregnancy play a huge role in a healthy delivery and in bouncing back to a fit body postpartum. Never do any type of workout that causes you discomfort or pain. If you worked out prior to getting pregnant, it will be easier for you to tell what is within your limits and when you are doing too much; if you weren’t as active  prior to baby stick to light walking or try yoga with your physicians approval. Whenever trying a new workout routine, it’s best to talk to your physician to ensure you and your baby are safe to try.ÂÂ
