Are You Fit for Pregnancy
EducationAre You Fit for Pregnancy
Planning for pregnancy is a phase full of anticipation and hope. Both your heart and your body will expand to make room for this new life, and you will never be the same. Trading a flat stomach for some stretch marks, a pooch and a baby is totally worth it! However, if you don't plan ahead for a fit pregnancy, you'll end up with more than just a pooch.
Brewing a baby in your belly is no easy job. If your boss told you that your job description would include carrying around a 30-40 pound briefcase of sensitive materials for the next nine months, you might hit the gym and start strengthening your muscles to lug that load. Many women will modify their diets and cut their caffeine consumption once they get pregnant, but what about the precious months leading up to conception?
Women in their child-bearing years need to get fit and stay fit. The more control we have over our cycles and our choices, the more we can plan pregnancies, but surprise blessings do happen. If you accidentally get pregnant when you are totally out of shape, you will be limited to prenatal yoga and easy walks around the neighborhood until after the baby arrives. If you were already overweight before conceiving, and the pregnancy turns out to be high-risk, then the necessary bed rest will just exacerbate your obesity.
Today's modern standard for pregnant exercisers is that you can keep doing whatever you did for six months prior to becoming pregnant. So if you were an avid runner for at least six months before you conceived, then you should be able to keep running as long as your are comfortable doing so. Horseback riding and downhill skiing are still on the black list, but if you did step aerobics, or lifted weights, or anything strenuous but not dangerous, you can keep doing it. Your body will adapt to the load of pregnancy, incorporatd your gradual shift in gravity, and account for the hormone changes that loosen your ligaments.
This six-month pre-pregnancy standard means two things. First, if you can plan a pregnancy that far ahead, then you can and should begin a pregnancy-safe workout routine as well. Second, you'd better enjoy that workout routine a lot because 6+9=15 months of the same thing. However, women who discover that good groove are often able to stay active right up until the day they give birth. Plus, women who are fit will find it easier to bounce back after delivery. Fit moms are more eager to use the new jogging stroller, and they report less post-partum depression.
If you are planning to have a child in the next year, now is the time to become the fit mom of your future. Visualize the active life you want to have during pregnancy and after the baby comes. If you are already pregnant, you can still go walking and do Pilates and Yoga. But if you can, hold off on getting pregnant until you have a wise workout routine in place. Then determine to maintain that routine throughout your pregnancy and into those first few sleep-deprived months of motherhood. Being fit before, during and after pregnancy will make you a healthier mom to a healthier baby.
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