Health: Pregnancy and exercise

After worrying times at the beginning of my pregnancy, I was feeling guilty about doing exercise. It’s been the one constant in the last few years that’s really helped me and I’ve finally got into a rhythm which helps me feel my best self: regular sessions where I both weight train and do some cardio if possible. After taking a break for two months at the beginning of the pregnancy, I thought i’d be back at square one and frustrated that I’d lost all the progress I’d made. However, it was actually much easier to get back into it than I thought. Obviously, nothing is intense anymore, in fact, running on the treadmill became uncomfortable for me (around 24 weeks) which was sad, but I switched to the dreaded Stairmaster which never seems to get easier. Who knows, as it’s just my feeling, but I suspect that regular exercise is helping me feel more energized than my last pregnancy.

Stretches also seem to have helped: some of the most useful to help things like sciatica have been hamstring and quad stretches. I have not made enough time for formal yoga lessons, but have been doing my own mini-practice in the mornings, mostly routine stuff: camel, cat/cow particularly helpful, tree, warrior and a some suriya namaskar.

So what do other people say? WebMD for example says recommends exercising, especially if you have no other complications, it can even:

– Reduce backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling

– Boost your mood and energy levels

– Help you sleep better

– Prevent excess weight gain

– Promote muscle tone, strength and endurance