Staying Fit During Pregnancy: Never start anything "new'

Working out during pregnancy seems to be a controversial issue for a lot of people, and perhaps with good reason. This first thing to consider about physical activity and pregnancy is that you should never start something new. Now, this is a broad term and it is used often when discussing fitness and pregnancy, but let me try to explain what "new" is referring to...

1.) If you were not physically active before your pregnancy do not take up a workout regimen that will push you past your comfort zone. It is all about maintaing during pregnancy, not gaining. Walking would be an ideal and unthreatening new activity to take up not just for the next nine months, but for life.

2.) If you walked, ran, or cycled pre-pregnancy now is the time to continue similar activities in a controlled and safe environment. For instance spin classes are a good alternative to street or mountain biking. Running or walking can be done safely on a paved pathway where cars, potholes, curbs, and stray dogs are not a threat. Make sure to stop trail running at your 3rd month when your center of gravity shifts and the hormone relaxin causes your ligaments to loosen. In addition to these types of workouts that your body is used to, incorporate light weight lifting for strength training. In this case weight training may be new to you, but since you lifestyle before pregnancy was aimed towards cardiovascular health (which is great for endurance during labor and child birth) weight training would not be too far off from your previous activity. Just remember to go light on the weights and high on the reps.

3.) If you were doing high impact, high intensity exercises before your pregnancy consider maintaining this lifestyle, but take it down a notch. Make sure to keep your heart rate below 160 and to hydrate more often than you would before. It will be tempting to continue to push yourself like you did pre-pregnancy (especially if you feel great) but everything in moderation. That hormone relaxin can cause injuries that would have not been a problem before.

4.) If you were working out regularly before your pregnancy do not stop all activity. Your mother or mother-in-law might give you the stink eye when you tell her you are planning on working out throughout your pregnancy and if you stop your health will decline and your muscles will atrophy. Not to mention your endurance will be shot. So do yourself and your baby a favor and get those endorphins pumping! You will both be thankful when he or she arrives.