In our last blog post we discussed the importance of a healthy diet during pregnancy, not only to keep mother and baby in the best possible health, but also to increase energy levels and make the nine months run as smoothly as possible, enabling the best outcome for the baby when it finally makes its way into the outside world.
One of the most famous pregnant ladies at the moment is the Duchess of Sussex, otherwise known as former Suits star, Meghan Markle. As a long term lifestyle blogger, she has always been well on top of health and fitness and the ways in which she has adapted her fitness routine to suit her pregnancy have been almost as much in the press as the activities of the royal couple in general.
The Duchess of Sussex is known for her love of yoga, having practised it with her yoga teacher mum from the age of seven. And for this reason, she has continued with prenatal yoga into her pregnancy, which is thought to help improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety and increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth.
According to the NHS, the more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour and get back into shape after the birth. So, in addition to yoga, what other exercises are good for you in pregnancy?
Can you exercise while pregnant?
Rule number one if exercising when pregnant is to only do the sort of exercises that your body was used to before you were expecting. And to listen to the experts when adapting your exercise to suit your pregnancy.
This might include running, aerobics, weight training, swimming or cycling. But it’s important that if you weren’t regularly active before your pregnancy, strenuous exercise should not be taken up for the first time during it.
Any form of exercise that makes it hard to speak while you’re doing it is probably a step too far. Take things steady and listen to your body, more often than not, it will be ever so ready to let you know when it isn’t happy.
Easy exercises during pregnancy
If you aren’t used to demanding forms of exercise, there are types of workout that can be just as beneficial as the tougher ones, but a lot more relaxing, such as aquanatal swimming or aqua aerobics classes where the water will help to support your bump when exercising.
There’s also walking to a pace which best suits your level of fitness, antenatal pilates classes, pelvic floor exercises and of course yoga. If in doubt, always consult your midwife or doctor before undertaking any form of exercise that you are unsure about.