Conception-Pregnancy

Pregnancy Fitness

Feel Good During Your Pregnancy

Keeping fit and healthy is important at any time, but it is especially important while you are pregnant.

Regular exercise during pregnancy is beneficial in many ways, it helps to improve your muscle tone and posture, minimise some of the discomforts of pregnancy, and even prepare your body for childbirth with cardiovascular fitness and muscle strengthening.

There are many ways to keep fit, something as simple as a gentle walk on a regular basis can make a world of difference.
It is important to remember to drink plenty of water while exercising, and also to stretch before and after, this helps to prevent any muscle cramping and soreness.

While it is great to exercise and keep fit , you must always make sure you are doing pregnancy friendly workouts, these particular types of exercise prevent any pregnancy injuries and also help to strengthen important pregnancy muscles, such as the pelvic floor and back.

There is a wide variety of workouts available designed especially for pregnant women, and these can be done in the privacy of your own home, making it easier to stay fit.
Some workouts, such as cycling, are not advised as they can be dangerous, if you get dizzy, you can fall and cause injury to yourself or your baby
If you are unsure of what exercises are safe during pregnancy, ask your doctor or local fitness trainer they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Post Pregnancy Fitness

Get Back In Shape After Pregnancy

Getting back in shape after pregnancy is beneficial in many ways.
It helps to tone your body back up and to strengthen those muscles that were stretched and strained over the past 9 months.
A bit of excercise every day can also help you feel more energised, which is something every new mother can benefit from.

If you are a first-time mother, you may be a little shocked at how your body looks after giving birth, what was a full, round hard belly is now soft, flabby some what unattractive, and probably wobbles when you poke it.
This is totally normal and over the following 6 weeks as your uterus shrinks back down some of your new tummy will shrink with it.
Unfortunatley some of us will need to put in a little more work to get our bellies back to its former glory, and that is where regular excercise can help.

Most Doctors reccomend that you dont start any excercise programs untill 6 weeks post delivery, this is to give your body time to heal, if you start to soon you could strain your self and do more harm than good.
The first weeks are an important time for resting and bonding with your baby and finding a routine that you can both settle into.
Once you and your baby have settled into a routine you are more likely to find an exercise routine that fits in with both of you which allows you to enjoy it without feeling pressured or overwhelmed

You should always consult your doctor before you start a workout program, to ensure that it is safe for your individual situation

The most important workout you can do is to strengthen your pelvic floor, this is a simple excercise which involves contracting the pelvic floor muscles and holding each contraction for a few seconds.
The beauty of these exercises is that they can be done anywhere, watching television, sitting in the car, during your shower, you can even do them while sitting on the toilet!
And they so beneficial, Stronger pelvic floor means prolapse prevention, and improved bladder strength.

It is important to remember many women experience difficulties in losing their post pregnancy weight so allow yourself between 6 to 12 months with a constant and consistent program to achieve your goals, after all it took 9 months to put the weight on,its not going to dissapear over night.
Listen to your body and dont feel pressured to exercise before you are ready, and even more importantly, try not to place any extra pressure on yourself by setting yourself unrealistic goals, there are enough pressures as the mother of a newborn without adding this to your load.

Some reccomended low impact post pregnancy excercises include.

~ Yoga and Pilates (Mother and baby Yoga)
~ aerobic workouts
~ Stroller Circuits (great if you have no time for excercise)
~ Swimming
~ Cycling
~ Walking