Oh, Baby! Staying Fit during Your Prenatal Days

What name should we pick? At which hospital should the baby be delivered? Is that a stretch mark?
Pregnancy can be a tremendous, miraculous experience for mommies-to-be; however, with your focus centering on your expectant little bundle of joy, it can be easy to forget about your own well being. Here are some tips and tidbits for making your prenatal months a healthy, joyous experience.
Pregnant does not equal passive. Being fertile does not give you an excuse to stop exercising for nine months. In fact, staying active while you’re pregnant provides numerous benefits including better posture, an increase in your flow of oxygen and a decreased chance of delivery difficulties, says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at parents.com.
Nevertheless, your body will encounter manifold changes, and it is vital to be aware of these transformations in order to protect your baby and yourself.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that the ligaments in your joints become more flexible when you’re expecting, as a result of the increase in hormones. However, extra mobility can lead to extra injuries, so it is best to avoid high-impact sports. Basically, you can make your husband sprint to the grocery store at 12:45 a.m. when you’re craving chocolate covered pickles, but you must jog casually.
As the countdown to the arrival of your newest family member decreases, you will find that the number of skinny jeans you can squeeze yourself into will do likewise. Your heart has to work harder to adjust to your weight gain; as you exercise, your heart rate accelerates and the blood and oxygen in your body flow towards your exerted muscles and away from other crucial body parts, says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. So, make sure you do not do more than your body can handle.
Despite these physical setbacks, there are still plenty of activities you can do while you’re pregnant to stay fit. Walking, jogging, yoga, pilates, dancing and swimming are all superb forms of prenatal physical activity - especially swimming as it creates buoyancy and relieves the weight of your baby bump, says Tara Hill of Associated Content.
Hill reports that exercising during your fertile period results in countless gains including fewer cases of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, easier shifts to your pre-pregnancy figure and an increase in stamina during labor, which your husband and you will appreciate after he passes out on the floor from your deafening screams and kung-fu hand grip. Taking exercise classes is also a great social outlet for women who are carrying, so you can all complain about your blistered feet and sore backs together.
As always, you should consult your doctor before undergoing any physical activities. Your pregnancy should be a time of excitement and anticipation. Do the right thing for your new loved one by providing him with a fit mommy who can play endless rounds of hide and seek and carry him across the monkey bars for years to come.