Being pregnant is the most wonderful time for parents to be. You can look forward to the amazing (and challenging) period that motherhood is and daydream about your life with a newborn. You can almost see the moment when you will bring the new baby home, and that feeling is certainly going to overwhelm you with happiness. However, a lot of expecting mothers also find themselves faced with a huge challenge – staying active once your belly starts showing. In order to stay healthy and active during pregnancy, it’s imperative for you to get the right amount of physical activity.
Activities that are too strenuous are known as dangerous for both the mum and the baby while being completely inactive is also certain to take its toll on you. So it would be best to mix low-intensity exercises that focus on getting your heart rate slightly up, allowing you to stretch your legs and muscles all the while showing you that back pain can be easily fixed – all with a couple of simple activities you will love incorporating in your day-to-day life.
Take The Stairs Instead Of Waiting For An Elevator
Believe it or not, you won’t have to go out of your way to remain healthy and active during pregnancy. You will just have to make a couple of changes in your daily routine. Do you live on the second or third floor? Then you won’t be able to believe how big of a change taking the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator will make.
Climbing the stairs is a great physical activity for toning your legs, and the best part is that it can be done by every person. In fact, it’s such a great exercise that personal trainers around the world recommend it to their clients. If you don’t believe it, just head over to a fitness website, browse through the articles and guides, and you are guaranteed to see the stairs mentioned once or twice.
However, as a pregnant woman, you are taking care of more than just yourself. So you need to know where the limit is. If you aren’t in the greatest shape of your life, don’t try to climb the stairs if you live on the tenth floor. Instead, assess your physical capabilities and make a plan. Instead of taking the elevator from the ground floor all the way to your door, perhaps you could get out of the elevator a few floors early? That will certainly help you stay healthy and active during pregnancy without putting you in any kind of risk.
Dancing To Your Favorite Music Will Help You Stay Healthy And Active During Pregnancy
Who said that working out had to be a boring and strenuous activity? Little did you know that all you have to do to get the necessary exercise is put on your jam and dance the night away. Dancing is known to be a great source of cardiovascular activity that helps strengthen the heart. And music, especially lively one, will lift your spirit and energy levels up.
Do note that music can also help you in many other aspects of life. For starters, it can help you keep your other kids occupied during a long car journey. All you have to do is turn on the radio and choose a song the whole family loves. And voila – you can let the singing contest begin.
Think About Taking Up Pregnancy Yoga
There is a good reason why almost all A-list celebrities strike up yoga poses on a daily basis. Yoga is great for every muscle and joint in the body – if done right, of course. As a pregnant woman, you won’t be able to safely practice the most challenging yoga possess, even if you have mastered them before. That doesn’t mean you should give up on yoga altogether – it just means you should take the right class.
Pregnancy yoga classes have become really popular nowadays. They are a great way for every woman to stay healthy and active during pregnancy. Once again, try to be careful throughout your exercises. If you were an inactive person before pregnancy, begin by indulging in a 15-minute exercise three times a week. Then you can level up your time to thirty minutes and increase the number of times you workout throughout the week.
A Simple Walk Will Do Wonders For Your Health During Pregnancy
Whether you are young or old, pregnant or not, walking is a great activity you should be doing every single day. It’s a low impact activity that won’t be harmful to your joints, but it will get your whole body active. But walking will be good for more than just your physical health – it will also do wonders for your mental wellbeing. And the best part is that walking requires no equipment and you can easily slow down your pace as your bump gets bigger.
Besides, walking will allow you to take care of other pregnancy-related chores on the go. You can use a stroll around the city and go shopping for baby clothes on a budget while also getting your mandatory daily exercise. When it comes to the recommended time you should spend walking, experts say that 10,000 steps are an ideal amount of activity. That translates to about an hour and a half of walking, which might be hard once you reach your third trimester. So it will be best to adjust the walking time and distance to your pregnancy. As long as you are walking every day, you are moving in the right direction.
Exercise Your Arm Muscles Before The Baby Arrives
Are you a mum already? Then you must know that babies might seem small and lightweight, but the practice will show otherwise. Carrying seven pounds in your arms all day, every day will turn out to be a real challenge at first. And that’s just the starting weight of a baby! Your arm muscles will certainly develop over time and make baby-carrying easier, but why not get a head start? The months of your pregnancy are a perfect time to grow some arm muscles.
But DON’T lift anything heavy. When someone says that you can exercise your arm muscles throughout pregnancy, they don’t refer to you lifting 20kg dumbbells. Instead, you should exercise your arms with everyday activities. For example, average grocery bags will be heavy enough for you to see some gains but not overexert yourself. Just remember to bend at the knees while lifting, and keep your back straight. That will keep you safe from any injuries.
Small Changes Can Go A Long Way
As you were able to see, it’s actually quite easy to stay healthy and active during pregnancy. A lot of people don’t realize it but all you need are a few changes in your daily routine. Will it hurt you to walk 15 minutes every day and to climb the third floor? Absolutely not. But will it help you stay healthy and active? Absolutely yes! Finally, you just need to listen to your body. Some women might have to slow down during their last month or so of pregnancy, while others will be able to keep up the normal pace. It’s all individual and it’s all normal!
Author’s Bio:
Carly Smith is a mother of three and works as a yoga instructor. For the last three years, she has been working as a blogger, writing articles about fitness and family life. She includes kids in every aspect of her life and often includes them in her workouts.
