Exercising During Pregnancy

Nine years ago, I was pregnant with my first child. And I wish I knew now what is almost common knowledge about pregnancy and safely exercising today. I’ve always been an exercise lover. I really thought my Jane Fonda Workout video was going to crumble and shred from overuse, as my love affair for exercise started as an early teen, and I have high hopes of running on my 100^th birthday. I don’t do marathons or races. And I don’t look like a body builder. Honestly, I don’t even exercise to stay fit or to look my best. I just love the way it makes me feel; all the other stuff is just icing on the cake. Somehow, I’m not sure which of the 15 prenatal books or magazines to point to, but during my first pregnancy I hardly exercised. And it was due in part to reading about the dangers of raising the baby’s heart rate with heavy exertion and exercise. Somehow I missed the part about - if you already exercise, you are probably okay to keep doing it. The main issue of importance I’ve learned about exercising and pregnancy is – check with your doctor first! Every body is different and every pregnancy is different. Listening to your own body and carefully planning an exercise routine with your doctor is the right choice every time. So, needless to say, I was literally at the gym on the elliptical machine the day before I gave birth to my second child. And I regularly exercised throughout my second pregnancy. Here are a couple of articles I found helpful in considering why I should drag my nauseated, growing body to the gym or out on my bike and away from the indent on the couch, where my body fits.

“Pregnancy and exercise: Baby, let’s move!” http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-and-exercise/PR00096 Mayo Clinic experts weigh in on exercising while pregnant with some nice advice about the reasons exercise can help pregnancy and some important things to consider when you are charting an exercise plan.
“Exercise and Pregnancy” http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/toprecommendedexercises.html American Pregnancy Association recommends Kegels, swimming, walking, running, bicycling, good old Stairmaster, yoga, aerobics and dance. And goes into detail about why those are better than say - skiing and horseback riding.

Share some of your favorite exercises that you do or did while pregnant and if any of the “benefits” were true for you. They definitely were for me. Wishing you all a healthy and happy pregnancy and birth from all of us at AlphaCord! Disclaimer: AlphaCord does not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medications, or treatment. All information provided is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice.

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