Pregnancy and Exercise

Pregnancy and Exercise

The third trimester is probably the most exciting, yet at the same time boring, stage of pregnancy. Unless you've experienced being this far into pregnancy, I'm sure you're racking your brains right now - how could it be boring and exciting at the same time?

Exciting because you know you're just weeks away from giving birth and finally seeing your baby. But boring because honestly, you get tired of seeing yourself this big and wondering how much bigger you could get. You feel like a balloon that could pop at any time.

Plus, many moms choose to go for maternity leave several weeks before they're due. After all the baby shopping and getting things prepared for your big day, you feel like there's nothing left to do but wait.

You probably forgot that you need to exercise as well.

Third Trimester Exercise

If you haven't been exercising for the past few months while you were pregnant (like me, who had been on bedrest for a long time), now is a good time to start.

But take note that pregnancy exercise shouldn't be like you're training for a marathon or joining a bodybuilding competition. Especially if you're starting just now (and this goes for any other exercise as well) start slow, and build up your tempo gradually.

The best exercise for pregnant women is probably swimming. You're very buoyant in water, so you don't feel like you're carrying a lot of weight at all. The water also helps relax your body, which is very beneficial for pregnant women for the myriad of body aches and pains that comes with pregnancy.

Brisk walking is also good. It helps build up your cardiovascular endurance for those long pushes you will have to perform when you're about to deliver your baby.

If you plan on strength training, use lighter weights and more repetitions. The hormone relaxin functions to make our ligaments softer so our hips can stretch to accommodate the baby - but it can also weaken our joints as well.

Kegel's exercise

One more important exercise is the Kegel's. This helps strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, and is very beneficial to prevent incontinence - those leaky moments when you cough or laugh suddenly.

Kegel's is done by contracting your pelvic muscles. Imagine you're trying to hold a stream of urine - or better yet, actually urinate and try to stop midstream. You can also imagine that your pelvic floor is an elevator and you're getting that elevator to the top floor and holding it there.

Hold that contraction for 10 seconds, and repeat it 3 times. The good thing about Kegel's is you can do it virtually anytime - even while typing up a blog like this. =D

Listen to Your Body!

If you're doing cardiovascular workouts, it's VERY important for you to monitor how your body is responding to your exercise. STOP IMMEDIATELY if you feel faint or light-headed, take a rest, and lie on your left side - the position that helps optimize circulation to your baby.

Exciting Minus the Boring

Adding exercise to your daily routine can help take away an hour or two of boring - and turn it into exciting if you keep in mind what you're exercising for. Pregnancy exercise helps your body to be well-prepared for the whole labor and delivery process, and helps you get in shape for the days ahead when your baby is finally here!