Moms-to-be in motion

Brace your fitness levels. It’s a win-win for baby and mom!

Yashmeen Manak, physical instructor, Sculpt Gym, reveals what's safe and what's not when it comes to being fit during pregnancy.

Preparation for exercising must start before conceiving.

If at all you are overweight or obese, you should plan to lose extra weight and fat before planning to start a family.

If you get pregnant when you are already overweight then it’s a must to consult your doctor, it can take a long time, may be even a year to get back to a decent frame.

If you do not shed the pregnancy weight for a long time, it could stick to you giving you a poor body image along with several disease risks associated with obesity. Whereas, if you get pregnant at a normal weight and gain just about the weight recommended by your doctor, you can get back to your pre-pregnancy shape and weight in a couple of months.

So, rather than following the old wives tales like “Eat for two”, pamper yourself with food, take bed rest, don’t do housework and yes, don’t lift buckets. You should adopt a consistent, moderate intensity physical activity along with a balanced diet with the advice of your doctor.

Multilayered benefits of exercising

There are many benefits of exercising during pregnancy which might interest you:

•  A moderate exercise plan keeps your mood and energy levels elevated.
• It controls excess weight gain which gives physical and health benefits along with an enhanced body image and confidence.
• It improves your posture resulting in fewer aches and pains as your muscles stay strong and decreases incidences of falls.
• It lowers the risk of stress, anxiety, insomnia (sleeplessness) and depression.
• It helps in a faster postpartum recovery.
• During labor and delivery, the tolerance for pain is enhanced, stamina for labor is increased and chances for caesarian births are reduced.
• It manages and prevents gestational diabetes (diabetes acquired during pregnancy).

Special considerations

Most exercises are safe to act upon during pregnancy, as long as moms exercise with vigilance and do not overdo it.

• Do not exercise in the supine posture (i.e while lying down on the back) after the first trimester.
• Additional 300 Kcal per day are required during this time to meet the needs of exercise and pregnancy. You should consume 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrate before exercising.
• Avoid motionless standing during exercise or after exercise because it may result in pooling of blood in the lower body due to which you may feel dizzy.
• Avoid exercises which involve the risk of abdominal trauma.
• Avoid holding the breath.
• Avoid exercising in extreme temperatures. Wear proper clothing and maintain adequate hydration.

Above all, it is imperative to know from your doctor the signs and symptoms for discontinuing exercise (such as vaginal bleeding, dizziness and chest pain) and composition of your diet.

Here’s wishing you a health-packed pregnancy!