Exercising Through the Trimesters

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Exercising Through the Trimesters
If you exercise regularly in your un-pregnant life, you'll be pleased to know that your exercise regime doesn't need to end because you're in the family way. Exercise is just as important now as it was before. Maybe more so, because now you're keeping two bodies healthy.

Not a regular participant in exercise? Well, you should be and there's no time like right now to get started. Obviously, you should talk to your doctor about any limitations, but with the exception of women on bed rest, all pregnancies should include regular exercise - regular meaning three to five times per week.

Women who exercise during pregnancy:

• Have more positive body images, resulting in healthier outlooks and attitudes
• Gain appropriate weight at a healthy pace
• Sleep better
• Have more energy
• Develop fewer stretch marks
• Are less likely to develop varicose veins
• Experience less swelling
• Experience less back pain
• Have easier/quicker labor
• Reduce their need for Cesarean section
• Lose weight faster after delivery

Considering all that, why wouldn't you exercise?

You need to participate in both aerobic and non-aerobic exercise.

Aerobic exercises are activities in which you engage in for extended periods of time. The object? To elevate your heart rate.

Large muscle groups are moved/exercised at the same time. Aerobic exercise burns calories and speeds up your metabolism and increases stamina. It's heart healthy and promotes overall fitness and stamina.

Examples of excellent aerobic choices during pregnancy include swimming, walking, low impact aerobics and stair climbing machines. In order to be beneficial, aerobic activity should continue for a minimum of twenty minutes and more if you feel up to it. However, if you're just starting out, don't exhaust yourself. Work your way up to the twenty minute sessions over time. Eventually, you'll be able to exercise without strain or fatigue.

There are two categories of aerobic activity - low impact and high impact. The difference between the two is simply the impact the activity has on your bones, joints, tendons. There's less shock and stress put on your body with low impact aerobic exercise and that's why they're recommended for pregnant women.

Even women who have enjoy high impact aerobics activities will benefit from low impact exercise. It's just that movements need to be widened or exaggerated in order to increase the heart rate of very fit mothers-to-be. In exercise classes, low impact classes are sometimes called "one foot on the floor classes," meaning that there's no jumping or jolting activity; one foot is on the floor at all times.

Anaerobic exercise is activities that are shorter in duration, but at a higher intensity.

It's short bursts of very strenuous activity; short because you can't take in enough oxygen to maintain the activity for long periods of time. One muscle or small group of muscles is worked in each exercise. Weight training is anaerobic. Light to moderate weight training is highly recommended for pregnant women. It boosts metabolism, makes you better able to function in activities that require bursts of energy (like pushing out a baby), and makes you stronger overall.

Weight training doesn't require fancy equipment or a big investment in gear. Hand and ankle weights are available at sporting goods stores, at large mega retailers and even in some pharmacies. However, don't buy any weights until you see if weight training is for you. Canned foods can be used in place of one and two pound weights.

Before beginning any exercise program, talk to your doctor to determine if you have any restrictions on your pregnancy.

Talk to friends and family to see if anyone is interested in working out with you. A workout partner is a great tool: s/hey keep you committed and make exercise more fun. Workout buddies distract you; they're also a useful barometer in determining if you're overdoing it. You should be able to continue to talk through exercise; if you're working so hard you can't maintain a conversation, you're working way too hard.

Get up and hit the walking path, the treadmill in your bedroom, the weight machines at the gym or your neighborhood pool. Or check out some of the following exercises, that can be done in your own home without fancy equipment. Do aerobics and anaerobic together or alternate days, whatever keeps you motivated.

But before you get started...

Exercise Precautions

1. Talk to your doctor about your plans.

2. Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

3. Keep tabs on your heart rate. Check your pulse periodically (place index and pointer fingers at the side of the neck and watch the clock or buy a wrist monitor). Your heart rate shouldn't exceed 140 beats per minute.

4. Always warm up and cool down before exercising. Stretch at the beginning and end of your routine.

5. Doctors and trainers recommend that you exercise three to five times per week, even when you're tired. It'll actually help you feel better.

6. Stop to cool down if you feel nauseous, dehydrated or just tired. Don't forget to stretch as a cool down!