Many pregnant women are afraid of physical exercise at such time in their lives because they worry about possibly harming their unborn child or themselves. However, as American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) assures, the majority of women not only can but should exercise during pregnancy and after birth to keep their muscles and circulatory and respiratory systems in a good shape. Pregnancy can also be the time when we begin our adventure with working out or fitness. Of course, each physical activity should be consulted with the attending physician first. Nevertheless, at least three forms of exercises can be recommended for pregnant women, namely yoga, Pilates and simple exercises. The activities, however, which can expose the expecting mom to injury, e.g. horse riding, tennis, skiing or climbing are not advised. So, why is it worth exercising during pregnancy?
There are many benefits. First of all, regular exercise improves functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems thanks to which the body’s strength is better and it is prepared for the delivery. Breathing exercises are recommended to all women in the first trimester. Also, even the smallest of efforts increases metabolism, thus helps to keep a more slender figure in comparison to the women who do not exercise. Another important aspect of exercising in pregnancy is keeping muscles in shape, especially the back muscles, as strong back muscles protect future moms against back pains they often experience later on in pregnancy.
Therefore, starting already in the first trimester, exercises for pregnant women should focus on correcting posture and toning the back muscles. Exercising in pregnancy has a beneficial effect on the baby, too. Research shows that newborn babies of the mothers who exercised during pregnancy achieve better marks on the Agar scale in comparison to the children born to moms who did not.
