3 Things To Remember When It Comes To Exercising During Pregnancy
If you exercised regularly before you got pregnant, then you should be fine to continue exercising after you are pregnant. However, keep in mind that you will likely feel different and your body will be going through some major changes. Because of this, you need to look at exercise a bit differently. This article will discuss 3 important things to remember when it comes to exercising during pregnancy.
Ask Your Doctor
If you have any questions regarding exercise whatsoever, be sure to ask your doctor. If you were exercising before you got pregnant, and if you have a healthy and safe pregnancy, then your doctor will likely recommend continuing your fitness regimen. They will tell you not to increase you workouts, though, because this will put your body under stress that it isn't used to. This can be especially harmful for you and your baby. Your doctor will also tell you that you need to avoid and modify some exercises, which will be discussed in the next section.
Make Modifications
Since your body is changing and growing a human, it is important to keep the two of you safe. To do this, you will need to make some changes to your fitness routine. Sometimes it is a simple modification, but other times it is finding a different type of workout that works that same muscle group. For example, it is not wise to do crunches on your back after the first trimester because of the pressure that it puts on your organs. However, there are other safe abdominal exercises that you can do, so you will want to do those instead. You may also need to make smaller modifications, such as decreasing your weight on certain exercises, and walking when you feel fatigued during a run. It is also very wise to completely avoid unsafe exercises such as skiing, ice skating, etc.
Listen To Your Body
The most important thing that you can do when you are exercising while pregnant is to listen to your body. If you feel great, then keep doing what you're doing. If you feel fatigued, stop. It is okay to take a break or call it good for the day if you just aren't feeling it. Also keep in mind that as you get further along in your pregnancy, exercise will become more and more difficult, so it is okay to cut back on the time that you spend exercising each day and also the amount of days that you exercise per week.
If you have any further concerns about exercising while pregnant, talk to an OB GYN, like those at Mile High OB GYN.