Pregnant and fit

The key point to remember when exercising through your pregnancy is to keep all your training at a comfortable level. Particularly if you have been a regular exerciser before becoming pregnant, avoid pushing too hard.

The focus should be on general fitness maintenance and well-being, rather than competition and exercising to exhaustion. Here are some tips to ensure that you always train safely;

Always keep well hydrated
You may find that you sweat more so paying extra attention to drinking is important.

Choose comfortable, loose-fitting clothing
Loose clothing will help keep you cool, particularly as your shape changes.

Allow longer recoveries
Your levels of fatigue will alter through your pregnancy so take extra rest when you feel you need to.Always complete a thorough warm up and cool down in your session. Pregnancy affects your circulatory system so extend both your warm up and cool down to 15 minutes so that your body gradually adapts to the session.

Protect your back at all times
The back increasingly comes under load as your baby grows, so always consider your body position, particularly if carrying out resistance training.

Avoid exercising on your back after 20 weeks
After 20 weeks, the weight of the womb can cause compression of the inferior vena cava, which in turn can cause dizziness, numbness at the extremities and a lack of oxygen to the foetus.

Avoid over-stretching
Joints gradually become looser as your pregnancy develops, so avoid excessive flexibility exercises that could over-stretch muscles and tendons.
Consider your energy requirements
Combining exercise with pregnancy increases your calorie requirements so pay particular attention to your pre and post exercise nutrition needs.

Choose low impact rather than high impact aerobic activities
To avoid excessive pounding and also damage to slacker joints, try activities such as swimming and cycling and only jog if you jogged prior to pregnancy.

Ensure your footwear is supportive and has suitable cushioning
Good ankle and foot support is important, particularly in later pregnancy as joints become more lax.
Focus on correct posture and technique at all times
It is important to put extra focus into your movements and posture because as your shape changes, your body is loaded in different ways. Good technique is vital to ensure a safe exercise session.


-www.realbuzz.com