Healthier behaviors you need to practice faithfully during pregnancy are; consuming 6-8 glasses of water, fruit juice or milk each day, eating intelligently; making certain you have a well-balanced diet of lean protein, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain products and unsalted nuts with a minimum of empty calories, and no alcohol. You certainly want to take all your prenatal vitamins and exercise which is essential for your physical fitness and energy together with your spirits and emotional state.
Going for walks is an excellent choice and something which you can enjoy along with your hubby, dog, children or perhaps a walking partner in the neighborhood. Remember that you are not preparing for the Olympics, therefore, this is definitely not the time to set any records walking too long a distance or too fast. Twenty or thirty minutes each day or 3-4 times weekly at a sensible rate will help you keep in excellent condition for your upcoming labor and delivery.
If you have been on a regular aerobic exercise program, you should certainly proceed as long as your physician has cleared you to do so. As you already know you need to spend 20-25 minutes of stretching the muscles in the thighs, the hamstrings as well as quadriceps, and especially those in the small of the back before beginning. Make sure your physician is aware of which type of exercise you are doing. Do nothing that makes you uncomfortable or overly fatigued or which could lead to a possible fall or injury.
Those of you that want clarification, exercising aerobically is any sort of exercise that accelerates your heart rate and keeps you breathing hard but not gasping for breath for twenty or so minutes. It may include walking, jogging, jumping, cycling, swimming, dancing, etc. During pregnancy you really need to use wisdom regarding which exercise program you choose; the idea is to maintain your physical condition, without injuring yourself and your baby.
A warning with aerobic exercise during the last trimester of your pregnancy is that at this time the body releases a hormone called relaxin. This hormone relaxes the body’s soft tissue structures in readiness for childbirth and in the process, it also loosens all the ligaments holding your joints together. Should you begin putting increased tension on your relaxin-loosened joints within the third trimester, you are more vulnerable to injuring yourself; something you really do not want to do at this time.
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