Exercise during pregnancy is recommended as part of healthy living. It’s good for proper blood circulation, boosts your mental health and helps you embrace working out post-pregnancy, to shed the weight gained.
If you have never taken working out seriously, now is the time to start.
You also need to know that there are some dos and don’ts that come with this. Your body is undergoing strenuous changes and in order to protect you and your baby’s health, you should always be cautious.
Safety tips must be a priority whenever you exercise and these are some of the most important ones to keep in mind.
i. Avoid restrictive clothes
You should never workout with very tight workout gear. Make sure that the straps and band of your sports bra are lose enough and that your shoes are comfortable. Choose some breathable vests, shorts or tights for the sake of temperature regulation. You should also let the waist trainers take a back seat even when you’re in the first weeks of the first trimester.
ii. Keep away from hot environments
Don’t work out in gyms that don’t have proper air circulation or at least some air conditioning. Working out already causes a rise in temperature so you can imagine the risks of working out in a hot environment at the same time. The chances of overheating are very high. If you can, workout outside where there is fresh cool air or indoors when there is enough cool air circulating.
iii. Don’t do any heavy lifting
Lifting heavy weight will increase the chances of getting an injury. But the worst part is that you could end up suffering a miscarriage or experience a preterm birth. Adhering to this simple instruction could prevent a serious tragedy so you need to be careful with the weights you’re working with. If you’re used to carrying heavy weights because you’ve been training for a long time, don’t assume that you should jump right back in or even test your limits.
iv. Avoid strenuous workouts
Aside from avoiding heavy weights, you should stay away from those workouts that strain your body like crunches, sudden jumps and twists or even those that require you to lie on your back. This will save you from back injuries, compression and other possible injuries. Avoiding this will also ensure that proper blood flow is maintained throughout the body.
v. Don’t skip the warmup
Don’t jump into working out suddenly. Your body needs time to prep for the exercises ahead. Start with light stretches or breathing exercises so that your body isn’t shocked into rapid workouts without any warning.
vi. Do everything with moderation
You shouldn’t workout out every single day of the week. This will overwork your body and lead to complications. Anything between three to five days a week is okay and you also need to limit the time you spend exercising in a day.
vii. Hydrate
This will replace the water lost as you sweat and serve as a protective measure for the baby. As you take breaks in between your workouts, make sure you sip some water.
