Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy - How to Control Your Growing Baby Bump
For expecting mothers who are wondering about the benefits of exercise during pregnancy, maybe my story can help to answer your questions about exercise during pregnancy.
When I became pregnant with my first child I was over-joyed.
My husband and I had a little difficulty conceiving so when it finally happened it was the biggest thrill of my life.
A couple months into my pregnancy I was becoming a little concerned with my growing baby bump.
Now don't get me wrong, I was still very happy to be pregnant, I was just a little concerned about the weight I was putting on.
All my life I had worked at trying to look skinnier, be skinnier, even think skinnier.
I spent a lot of time in the gym, in aerobics classes, on the bike trails.
I put in a lot of work trying to look good and be healthy.
Now it seemed all my hard work was going to go bye bye.
I was putting on weight at an uncomfortable rate.
My mind was racing with questions.
What if I wasn't going to be able to lose the weight after the baby came? Was I going to lose my shape forever? Just how big was my growing baby bump going to get? Can you exercise during pregnancy? It finally dawned on me that after I became pregnant I was so excited and so busy making plans for the delivery that I had stopped exercising.
I guess there was a part of me that thought it would be dangerous to exercise during pregnancy, maybe all the jostling and movement would somehow hurt my baby.
But I talked to my doctor and found out it not only is safe to exercise during pregnancy, it is actually recommended.
I have to admit I was giving in to my food cravings a little too much and taking the "eating for two" theory a little too seriously.
So I decided I needed to better manage my diet during pregnancy too.
So here is what I did to help control my weight and stay in shape while I was pregnant: I Started a Pregnancy Diet Plan: I learned that pregnant women only have to take in an additional 300 calories or so to support the nutritional needs of their growing baby.
I also learned that a variety of foods along with a good prenatal vitamin is the best way to get all the nutritional requirements my baby and I needed.
So I curbed my cravings and controlled my portions.
It turns out that "eating for two" is not necessarily true.
I Started Exercising During Pregnancy: I did a little research and found out which exercises were safe during pregnancy.
It turns out most any exercise that is not overly strenuous is ok.
I built myself an exercise plan around the exercises that were safe during pregnancy.
Between my exercise and diet program I felt and looked great during the remainder of my pregnancy and actually learned to love my growing baby bump.
I did not do it on my own.
I consulted with my doctor and followed an excellent pregnancy fitness program that gave me details on proper diet and exercise.
The best news was that by staying in shape during pregnancy I quickly returned to my pre-pregnancy shape after my son was born.
For me, there were so many benefits of exercise during pregnancy.
When I became pregnant with my first child I was over-joyed.
My husband and I had a little difficulty conceiving so when it finally happened it was the biggest thrill of my life.
A couple months into my pregnancy I was becoming a little concerned with my growing baby bump.
Now don't get me wrong, I was still very happy to be pregnant, I was just a little concerned about the weight I was putting on.
All my life I had worked at trying to look skinnier, be skinnier, even think skinnier.
I spent a lot of time in the gym, in aerobics classes, on the bike trails.
I put in a lot of work trying to look good and be healthy.
Now it seemed all my hard work was going to go bye bye.
I was putting on weight at an uncomfortable rate.
My mind was racing with questions.
What if I wasn't going to be able to lose the weight after the baby came? Was I going to lose my shape forever? Just how big was my growing baby bump going to get? Can you exercise during pregnancy? It finally dawned on me that after I became pregnant I was so excited and so busy making plans for the delivery that I had stopped exercising.
I guess there was a part of me that thought it would be dangerous to exercise during pregnancy, maybe all the jostling and movement would somehow hurt my baby.
But I talked to my doctor and found out it not only is safe to exercise during pregnancy, it is actually recommended.
I have to admit I was giving in to my food cravings a little too much and taking the "eating for two" theory a little too seriously.
So I decided I needed to better manage my diet during pregnancy too.
So here is what I did to help control my weight and stay in shape while I was pregnant: I Started a Pregnancy Diet Plan: I learned that pregnant women only have to take in an additional 300 calories or so to support the nutritional needs of their growing baby.
I also learned that a variety of foods along with a good prenatal vitamin is the best way to get all the nutritional requirements my baby and I needed.
So I curbed my cravings and controlled my portions.
It turns out that "eating for two" is not necessarily true.
I Started Exercising During Pregnancy: I did a little research and found out which exercises were safe during pregnancy.
It turns out most any exercise that is not overly strenuous is ok.
I built myself an exercise plan around the exercises that were safe during pregnancy.
Between my exercise and diet program I felt and looked great during the remainder of my pregnancy and actually learned to love my growing baby bump.
I did not do it on my own.
I consulted with my doctor and followed an excellent pregnancy fitness program that gave me details on proper diet and exercise.
The best news was that by staying in shape during pregnancy I quickly returned to my pre-pregnancy shape after my son was born.
For me, there were so many benefits of exercise during pregnancy.