If your goal is to stay fit and healthy during pregnancy, follow these simple tips and exercise advice. Here’s what you need to do during pregnancy.
7 Rules To Stay Fit
1. Junk Carbs To Be Kept Out Of Reach
Junk carbs and sugar are two things to be kept out of reach. You tend to put extra pregnancy weight and fluid gains in the body. White bread, breakfast cereals, baked products in packets, and pasta contain processed carbohydrates. These get in the body and break down into sugar and the body reacts the same as raw sugar. If you do not exercise and burn the excess blood sugar, it turns into fat. So you end up storing this fat in all the wrong places of your body – stomach, hips, and arms. Even fruits which are rich in sugar are a type of sugar. Excess eating of fruits also turns into fat. Limiting fruit intake to 2 servings a day is recommended.
2. Consume Food With Fat And Protein
If you think eating only low fat healthy options will keep you fit during pregnancy, you are probably wrong. If you consume food with full-fat whole products it will keep you fit and healthy. Foods rich in mono and saturated fats like Olive, coconut, and avocado oil, and butter will give you fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K to get absorbed by your body. It is good for both you and your baby. Include eggs, milk, and full-fat dairy products for a wholesome diet. When you have foods rich in protein and fat which have high satiety value, the hunger pangs are in control. You will not end up eating junk foods or snacks.
3. Get Adequate Sleep
It is not advisable to train all nine months during pregnancy. Even a trained athlete wouldn’t exercise continuously, so your body needs rest too. Ensure you have enough rest. The body needs time to adapt and improve when you sleep and recover, this holds good throughout pregnancy too. When you are exercising continuously, give an easy week of no exercise in between. For every 6-8 weeks of exercise, give a complete week of rest. Early to bed and early to rise is very important. Your pregnant body needs good quality sleep.
4. Stay Hydrated
Pregnant or not, it is essential to keep yourself hydrated. Drink lots of water to stay away from tiredness and dizziness. Drink at least two liters of water a day and more so if you are into fitness activities.
5. Enjoy The Exercises
To maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle during pregnancy, the first and foremost thing to remember is to enjoy what you do. Exercises that you really like to do will keep you motivated rather than push or force you to do. Do not try and do activities which you hate but generally do it because it is good during pregnancy. A regular exercise regime will help you maintain muscle tone and increase the metabolism to burn fat. Strength training with proper guidance will reduce muscular pains which comes along with pregnancy. It will also help you during labor and delivery.
6. Have A Check On Your Posture
If you watch your posture during pregnancy, it will give you a lot of benefits. If you have rounded shoulders and keep a forward head posture, it can reduce the room for your baby. Try to include postural strengthening and stretching exercises when you train to get good posture during pregnancy. When you have a good posture you can avoid lower back pain, hip pain, and improve pelvic muscle strength.
7. Listen to your body
Finally, listen to your body and stay in shape during pregnancy. What works for one will not work for you. Do not force yourself on any activity. If you feel tired, just relax and take a break. It is neither good for you nor the baby.
The mantra is very simple – Do What You Love!
