Physical activity has been proven to be good for everyone's health. It helps improve stress, stress, and strengthens your heart. If you're TTC or you're already pregnant, chances are that your health is a top priority for you right now. For this reason, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that women do both cardio and strength-conditioning workouts before, during, and after pregnancy. Besides sticking to low-intensity workouts and listening to your body, here are a few other tips you should know about working out while pregnant:
1. Be cautious of the way you use your abdominal muscles.
When you're pregnant, your core strength plays a huge part in your health but it's important to make modifications. Strengthening your transverse abs will play a big part in supporting your pelvic organs as you get bigger, but please avoid strenuous exercises like planks, ab crunches, and even big yoga cat/cows that engage your six pack abs as it can be very stressful on your muscles. Choose low-impact workouts like prenatal yoga, walking, or pilates that fit best for your body, lifestyle, and pregnancy.
2. Make stretching exercises a daily part of your routine.
Lengthening your muscles through stretching can be a huge benefit in how you feel throughout your pregnancy. It's common to feel substantially tighter with a baby growing inside your belly, so make it a point to incorporate a stretching routine that brings space to your pelvic floor, outer hips, and lower back. This 30-minute Prenatal Yoga flow from Yoga by Adriene is a great place to start, but even 5 to 10 minutes of stretching can do wonders for your body.
3. If you feel too sick or wiped out to work out, commit to just 15 minutes of movement.
Often times than not, you might feel too exhausted to move your body, but if you can, make a committment to move even just 5 or 10 minutes. You might find that you get the boost of energy you need to complete the 15 minutes that will make the difference in the rest of your day.
Please remember it's important to listen to your body when you're pregnant, so do not do anything that doesn't feel good and pay attention to warning signs like backaches, vaginal bleeding, chest pain, or high blood pressure that could cause more complications. Your workouts should benefit your body, not hurt it, so be gentle with your body and train smarter, not harder!