Exercise before pregnancy, during and after as well are the key factors to a complication free pregnancy resulting in good health of the mother and the child. Incase of those women who have not been exercising at all before pregnancy but intend to start exercising need to first get a fitness evaluation by a qualified physical trainer before starting with any pre pregnancy exercises. The ideal pre pregnancy exercise for such women will include flexibility conditioning, aerobics and a little of resistance training which need not involve the use of machines and weights and should mostly body weight exercises.
Women who did not exercise before pregnancy should adopt such body weight exercises that simply require an exercise ball and a floor mat.
For those women who exercise regularly even before pregnancy, the key factor would be to modify their exercises no that they are pregnant or planning to get pregnant so that they do not stress or strain themselves excessively thereby harming the baby or themselves. Exercise during pregnancy is also advised so as to avoid excessive weight gain and to also ensure that the mother does not become lethargic and energy levels remain high.
A structured exercise program is usually prescribed by doctors for women during pregnancy, which may be modified depending on the woman's lifestyle and fitness levels. Even post delivery, women are encouraged to continue exercising via short walks, floor exercises etc so as to get rid of the excess fat that may have accumulated during pregnancy. Some ideal pregnancy exercises recommended by mist doctors include swimming, yoga, stretching, pilates, walking, cycling etc.
Exercising during pregnancy and before pregnancy also helps in regulating a healthy flow of blood to the vital organs of the body. Moreover being overweight before and during pregnancy increases the chances of developing complications during pregnancy. In such cases pre pregnancy exercising plays a significant role. Keeping oneself fit during pregnancy also helps the women to be prepared for labor. However women should take care not to exercise excessively in a manner that may harm the baby. Additionally all pregnant woman should supplement their exercising with a diet that is rich in proteins, calcium, vitamins and minerals as the baby is highly dependent on the mother for its nutritional intake. Pregnant should also drink sufficient quantities of water which will help keep them hydrated and maintain overall good health of both the mother and the child.
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