Making exercise a regular habit before trying to conceive can help woman feel good throughout pregnancy, have more stamina for labor and delivery, and shed the baby weight faster. Moderate physical activity was found to benefit women of all body types in a new study examining the impact of exercise on fertility, while intense exercise appeared to increase the time to conception for normal weight, but not overweight, women.
Don’t Wait to Start an Exercise Routine:
If you do notalready work out regularly, you can start adding more activity into your life, such as a twenty to thirty minute walk daily. This is free and can fit into any schedule. Starting and sticking to an exercise program will reward you with a healthy body that’s fit for pregnancy and exercise is a well as being a well-documented mood booster and a great way to relieve the stress that can get in the way of conception.
Choose a variety of activities that you enjoy. This way, if you prefer not to go for a walk because it is pouring with rain, for example, you can still goes to an exercise class. Yoga and Pilates are particularly good (always tell your instructor if you are pregnant). Swimming is also recommended because it’s zero-impact and it offers an enjoyable weightless feeling that’s especially great during the heaviest months of pregnancy.
Excessive exercise particularly if leading to a low BMI may lower your probability for conception and can alter a woman’s menstrual cycle or even halt it.
Running:
Running, particularly if you are already a runner is an excellent cardiovascular activity; and it’s a sure way to get blood pumping. If you notice that your runs are wearing you out or your menstrual cycle has become erratic, tone down the frequency, pace, and duration.
Swimming & cycling:
Both of these activities are fantastic forms of exercise. They are low impact yet they still build muscle tone and offer cardiovascular benefits.
Yoga:
Yoga is an ideal exercise before pregnancy. It builds strength, balance, endurance, and muscle tone, and it helps women to relax – these are all things that will help woman’s conception efforts.
Playing It Safe
- Healthy women can exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes on most if not all days.
- Walking and swimming are good choices for exercise that can be continued throughout pregnancy.
- Skip activities in which you might fall or get a serious blow to the belly.
- Scuba diving is not an option because a fetus can’t decompress the pressure as easily as adults. Check with your doctor any other activities he or she may feel are not suited to you if you are trying to conceive. Everyone is different and it will depend on your current levels of fitness, whether you have weight to lose or gain and whether you have any other health issues known to your doctor.
Always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program and make sure they are aware you are trying to conceive.
