Starting Workouts While Pregnant

If you are new to exercise, you are not alone. For many women, the changes they experience during pregnancy increase their desire to stay as fit and healthy as possible. There are no reasons a normal healthy woman should not exercise during pregnancy, and every reason why she should. Knowing it is safe is reassuring, but knowing what to do is a totally different question.

There are three types of activity important for your overall fitness. Cardiovascular or aerobic training, strength training and flexibility training.

Cardiovascular training is the rhythmic movement of large muscle groups such as walking and running, swimming, biking, dancing or playing sports. This type of activity helps keep your circulatory system healthy, increases your endurance, helps maintain a healthy weight by burning calories and speeding your metabolism and improves the way you feel. You should participate in these types of activities three or four days a week for 20 minutes at a time for general health maintenance. For weight loss after your baby is born you will want to be active 4 or more days a week working up to 45 minutes of activity each time. Be sure to work at a pace allowing you to maintain a conversation to ensure proper intensity.

Strength training is the intentional working of specific muscle groups to improve their ability such as working with free weights, exercise bands, or Pilates. This type of activity helps build bone mass, increases your muscle mass which will increase your resting metabolic rate and tones the body for an overall slimmer appearance. Be sure to start with a weight level comfortable for you and allows you to complete 8 repetitions with proper form. You can build your strength to allow you to complete more repetitions or sets of repetitions. Aim to exercise each muscle or group of muscles twice a week, allowing two days between strength training.

Flexibility training is the intentional stretching of muscles and muscle groups such as yoga or the stretching done before a workout. This type of activity decreases your risk for injury, helps prevent muscle soreness, promotes relaxation and increases your circulation. Stretch to the point of comfort, holding the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds while breathing normally. Do not overstretch, which can cause injury. Be sure to stretch all the major muscle groups three times a week.

How do you start exercising if you've never been physically active before? There are several ways to get started. Choose the one that best fits your situation.

• Join a Gym and Hire a Personal Trainer: A personal trainer can help you learn how to exercise correctly, reducing your risk of injury. A personal trainer is also able to assess your current fitness level and suggest an exercise regimen specifically geared for your body. Most health facilities have trainers on staff, and any fitness equipment you might need. The down side is that a gym membership can be expensive, and for some women having to leave home to work out simply will not happen.

• Purchase Home Exercise Equipment: An exercise bike, elliptical machine or treadmill all provide a good cardiovascular workout and are a relatively safe place to start. There is a wide variety in exercise equipment available for the home, and you might find a machine or two that fit perfect in a corner and allow you to work out while you watch television. The down side for many women is the expense of new equipment and the amount of space it will take up in your home.

• Purchase a few Exercise Videos: There are videos designed specifically for pregnant women. These videos generally remove quick position changes, avoid postures that can cause you to loose your balance, keep the intensity appropriate for new exercisers and avoid straining muscles already under stress from your growing abdomen. They are relatively inexpensive and come in a variety of workout styles. The down side for some women is the boredom they feel from doing the same video over and over.

• My Favorite Pregnancy Home Gym Purchase a birth ball (stability or exercise ball) and some soft round hand weights. These store relatively easy, are incredibly versatile and can also be used for comfort and positioning during labor. You can hold the weights while you walk (around the block or in place during bad weather) for cardiovascular exercise and use the ball for positioning for flexibility and strength training. The down side for some women is "out of sight out of mind." If your home gym is hidden in the closet you might *forget* to use it.

You May Also Be Interested In: The Coach's Notebook of positions, techniques and tools for labor Pregnancy Nutrition to help you experience a healthy pregnancy. Natural Childbirth Directory to find other websites that will help you prepare to give birth. The Monthly Guide to Pregnancy helps you understand the changes in you and your baby. Birth Challenges helps you learn to navigate through a challenging labor.

© Copyright 2000-2007 Jennifer VanderLaan and Birthing Naturally

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