Hey girl, I get it. You’re tired, you’re hungry, you’re uncomfortable, possibly nauseous and you’re inevitably going to be gaining weight for the foreseeable future. Why bother working out? Why not just start back up after the baby comes?
Many women feel this way; however, staying sedentary during pregnancy can be a huge disservice to you and your growing baby.
What if I told you that mothers who worked out during pregnancy had shorter labor times by 1/3, had less emergency interventions (vacuum, foreceps, C sections), recovered faster AND went on surpass previous fitness levels?
Think about it! You wouldn’t run a marathon without proper training, right? Then why go through labor without training? The average person runs a marathon in 4-5 hours after months of training, and the average labor is about 20 hours! Training for the marathon of motherhood is crucial. Also think about working out for 40 weeks and adding 1 pound to a weight vest every week for those 40 weeks. Then one day you remove the vest. Your body has trained with extra weight for months, it’s now going to adapt to those demands placed on it.
Now what if I said babies who are born to mothers who maintained a fit and healthy lifestyle during pregnancy scored better on stress tests during labor (resulting in smoother deliveries and less C sections), scored higher on IQ tests, were born with less fat but still at a healthy weight and were able to combat obesity later in life?
Would that change anything for you? Would it increase your motivation a little bit?
Those benefits listed above are my favorite benefits of working out during pregnancy, but the list goes on and on. Other benefits include reduced backaches, constipation, bloating, varicose veins, leg cramps, swelling, may help prevent or treat gestational diabetes, keep weight gain steady and in normal range, improved mood, sleep, increase energy and decrease stress.
Gone are the days that you should be “eating for two” or “staying off your feet”. (Unless ordered by your doctor, you should be moving and staying active during pregnancy.)
Studies show that 3-5 days of 20-30 minutes or more of challenging exercise can give you all of these great benefits. It doesn’t have to be something you commit to every day for hours but it does have to be a consistent commitment.
Now that you understand the importance of working out during pregnancy you might be asking yourself, “Ok now HOW do I workout?” Great question! In my online training program, I dive in deep with you. I give you all the information you should know, from how hard you should workout, how heavy you should be lifting and how to protect your core and pelvic floor. To learn more about my prenatal program click the link below!
Have a specific question you want to chat about? Let’s Talk!
Resource:
Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Catherine Cram and Dr James clapp