Fitness and Pregnancy - Myth Busted

A common consensus is once pregnancy begins, physical exertion should end.  This is not the case.  Actually quite the opposite, exercise throughout pregnancy is recommended.  Pregnancy is exhausting.  However, that being said, maintaining your time at the gym can actually increase your energy.  The more you exercise, the more oxygen you’re getting to parts of your body.  Over time your body will build more capillaries to help deliver the oxygen, which creates more blood flow, which equals more energy.

Fend off those pregnancy blues.  “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins makes you happy” Elle said it best in the movie legally blond.  Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers; they block signals from nerve cells to the spinal cord.  Not only will you benefit from these endorphins, you’ll also be left with a feeling of accomplishment.   So you don’t have to cut back on your workouts, maintain them.

Having a fit and strong body will benefit you when delivery time comes.   Like any race, you have to train for it.  This is about the longest race you will ever have to endure.  Your going to need stamina, cardiovascular health will be imperative.  There have been lower incidences of intervention; good pelvic muscles result in a lessened chance of an episiotomy/tearing.  Not to mention strong core muscles to push the baby out.  There is even evidence of fetuses tolerating labor better then those of non-exercisers.

Not only will exercising before and during benefit your pregnancy, but it will make postpartum recovery that much quicker.   Also you can avoid the separated stomach

muscles, which means a tighter tummy after birth.  Exercising during pregnancy will also do the obvious, help ward off those unwanted pounds, making it easier for you to maintain your weight and jumping back into those skinny jeans after baby.