Why You Should Stick to Pregnancy Workouts from First Trimester to Last

Olympian Alysia Montano competing at 8 months pregnantWhen it comes to your new pregnancy lifestyle, where do pregnancy workouts fit in? It might seem as though pregnancy restrictions limit many of the routine actions that made up your day pre bun in the oven. While you get used to meals without goat cheese and red wine, how should you effectively change your workout plan? Working out while pregnant provides many health benefits to both mom and baby, so using pregnancy as a time to lay off all exercise is not advised by many healthcare professionals. But it also important to note that pregnancy is not the time to push yourself harder and work out past your established threshold. It is crucial that you stay at your current exercise level and concentrate on maintaining that level of fitness (with adjustments as your pregnancy progresses).

Women who regularly compete at a high fitness level will be able to maintain their strenuous workouts with modification throughout pregnancy. Runners, weight lifters, and even surfers are able to maintain their daily workouts as long as they take safety precautions and pay special attention to their breathing and cardio rates. Exercising and carrying a pregnancy impose similar physiological changes on a woman’s body. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are the most heavily impacted by pregnancy (aside from the body’s transformation during pregnancy) because of how crucial these systems are to a baby’s development in the womb.

If you plan on continuing the work out while pregnant, be prepared for your first trimester to pose the most strain on your heart and breathing. In your first months of pregnancy, your body’s blood flow is more restricted compared to your last months spent expecting. By your third trimester, your body will have maximized cardiac output with minimal effort working out, but your growing baby bump will have put the brakes on more extreme workouts. So if you were a runner before you became pregnant, use your first and second trimesters to continue your typical workout schedule. You should transition into a gentler workout plan in your third trimester to minimize pain and accidents; swimming, yoga, and walking are all safer pregnancy workouts women close to their due dates.

Staying fit is a great way to boost your chances of conception, so make working out a regular habit before you’re pregnant. If you establish a healthy exercise pattern before you start a family, chances are that you’ll be able to keep up with your workout routine while expecting. Not only will you feel better and have an easier delivery, but your baby also benefits from your dedicated exercise regimen. If you’re unsure about what exercise limits you should establish while pregnant, consult your doctor about safe options that keep you active and healthy.

The post Why You Should Stick to Pregnancy Workouts from First Trimester to Last appeared first on Leading Lady.

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