Whole Longevity - Excercise while pregnant

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"Exercising during pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for both you and your baby. Regular activity has been shown to decrease labor time as well as post-delivery recovery time.".......Read More

One exercise NOT to forget

Exercise Tips

Exercise tips and facts
Exercise needs to be moderate and not put you at risk for slips and
	falls. Good forms of exercise include: swimming, low-impact aerobics, and walking.
A pregnant woman's body produces relaxin, which is a hormone that
	loosens pelvic joints in order to ease childbirth, but it also loosens other ligaments and joints, making it easier to sprain or strain joints such as the knee or ankle.
Try and exercise on a regular basis, at least three times a week.
It is preferable if exercise is started before conception.
Always be sure to warm up and stretch.
Don't exercise to exhaustion. Exercise shouldn't exceed 60% of your
	maximum heart rate or 140 heart beats per minute, you should be able to comfortably carry on a conversation during exercise.
Drink lots of water. Dehydration can be very dangerous.
Avoid exercising in extremely hot weather.
During the second and third trimesters, avoid exercise that involves
	laying flat on your back, as this decreases blood flow to your womb.
Exercise is highly individual and each woman should listen to her own
	body.

Kegel Exercises

One exercise that shouldn't be overlooked both during and after pregnancy is the Kegel exercise. To keep the pelvic floor (also called the Kegel muscles) muscles strong, you need to exercise them. These muscles are attached to the pelvic bone and act like a hammock, holding in your pelvic organs. You can find your pelvic floor muscles by stopping and starting the flow of urine when you urinate. The squeezing that stops the flow of urine are the pelvic floor muscles contracting. Now try contracting and relaxing your Kegel muscles while sitting at your desk, driving in your car and watching television! Aim for a goal of 100 Kegels each day.

You can continue exercising your Kegel muscles on a daily basis throughout your pregnancy and can resume them after the birth of your baby. Maintaining a strong pelvic floor will help you regain abdominal strength and tone, vaginal tone and bladder control. The exercises will also help your uterus contract back down to normal size after the birth. This is an exercise you should continue for the rest of your life. Start the habit now and soon it will be second nature.

Benefits of exercise while pregnant
Prepares you for the physical stresses of labor Makes it much easier to get back into shape after the baby is born Can improve your self-image Helps you sleep more soundly A 1990 study regarding pregnancy and exercise indicated that women
	who continued to exercise during pregnancy had a 30% shorter labor and fewer obstetric interventions such as forceps and cesarean deliveries.