The Importance Of Exercise While Expecting

The Importance of Exercise While Expecting

Expecting a child comes not only with happiness and joy, but also many questions about what to do and change during and after pregnancy. One of the biggest questions is a question that many mothers ask themselves. Does my exercising hurt my child? The answer is one that must be chosen by the number because exercising while pregnant has its benefits and its drawbacks.

Exercise plays an important role in promoting health and well being for pregnant women. About half the pregnant women in the United States exercise (www.nhealth.edu/healthyu/getmoving/pregnancy.html). Pregnant women who get regular exercise experience fewer discomforts of pregnancy as well as get the normal benefits exercise can bring. Studies show that exercising during pregnancy can bring many benefits to the baby as well as to the mother. One study found in the journal of pediatrics in 1996, found that the children of 20 women who continued to exercise during pregnancy all had significantly higher scores on oral language and general intelligence tests (www.selfgrowth.com/articles/babyfit1.htm). Basically, children of mothers who exercised regularly tend to be more intelligent then their peers. Women who consume a healthy diet, gain weight at the recommended level, and avoid activities that are too intense or may cause injury should not worry that exercise will harm their baby (http://womens-health.health-cares.net/pregnancy-exercise.php). Most pregnant women who exercise during pregnancy have healthy children. It is shown that women who exercise during pregnancy give birth to babies with less body fat and weigh approximately one pound lighter than the babies born to mothers who perform no exercise during pregnancy (www.nextstepfitrness.com/healthy-moms-healthy-babies.html). One way to know that the lever of exercise is too high is a low rate of weight gain. Therefore, women should be careful to not make the exercise too intense because it can harm the baby rather than be beneficial. Also, it is important to watch the level of exercise because it can alter the amount of oxygen the baby receives. Also, babies of exercising mothers are better able to adapt to the stressor and stimuli to life outside the womb. Because of this, these babies are found to be in need of less comforting by others and can settle themselves in certain situations (www.nextstepfiness.com/healthy-moms-healthy-babies.html).

There are many opinions debating whether or not a woman with child should partake in physical activities. Many things should be taken into consideration about exercise when a woman finds that she is expecting. Many questions come to mind about the safety of the health of the unborn child, health of the mother, what type of exercises need to avoid and what specific type need to be performed frequently. The most frequent concerns are the effects on labor. In general, exercising during pregnancy is very healthy and does not trigger early labor and delivery if there are not high risks. The women who have been considered to experience a high-risk pregnancy tend to have a risk for pre-term/early labors. If the pregnancy is termed as high-risk, then exercise should be closely monitored and the types of exercise should be discussed with health care provider (www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/effectsofexerciseonpreg.html). It has also been shown that excess levels of physical activity at higher intensities can reduce fetal growth and increase the risk of preterm delivery (http://womens-health.health-cares.net/pregnancy-exercise.hph). Some types of exercise positions as well as the level of intensity may cause harm to the baby. Overall, moderate exercise does not increase the risk for miscarriage or early labor.

Depending on the number of children a woman has previously had, a woman may wonder about how the labor and delivery will take place. While conducting research, it was found that there are many different parts to the labor and delivery of a baby. Time, pain, complications, position and breathing techniques are all influenced by the type and amount of exercise during pregnancy. Am mother with a higher fitness level can reduce the number of complications and medical interventions during labor. The duration of the labor is effected by exercise resulting in a shorter labor and in turn, less exhaustion occurs. Exercising during pregnancy does not decrease or alleviate pain, although it would be nice (www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth.effectsofexerciseonpreg.html). By exercising the cardiovascular system during pregnancy it is possible to take control of breathing methods to ease labor. (http://kidshealth.org). Exercising increases endurance and strength, which are needed during the birth of a child.

After the baby is born, most mothers are delighted at the sight of their new child. Although a mom can be happy, there are many new mothers that experience post-partum depression after the birth of the baby. The benefits of exercise through the durations of pregnancy improve not only the physical aspects of the mom, but also her emotional aspects. With physical activity come endorphins that are released by the brain. These endorphins help to aid in mood alteration in all types of people, including pregnant women (http://kidshealth.org). Exercise helps to improve the mood and demeanor of the new mom. She can have a better sense of control and a boost in her energy level by exercising while pregnant (http://kidshealth.org). Exercise can help enhance sleep in the later stages of pregnancy by working off some of the energy before bed to give the woman a more restful, deeper sleep (www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/effectsofexerciseonpreg.html). Mood swings and the intensity of those mood swings can be improved by exercise as well as the mother-to-be's self-image is also important because a young mother's body can change so drastically during her pregnancy.

Weight gain is considered to be one of the most frequently asked about parts of pregnancy. How much should a woman gain? What is too little or too much? How can the weight be gained in a healthy way? How will it affect the mother during and after the birth? Well, it is suggested by many health care providers that weight should be gained but also managed through diet and exercise. The recommended amount of weight to gain is between 25 and 35 pounds. Anything is excess to that makes is much more difficult to lose when the baby is born. When exercising during pregnancy to maintain your fitness level a woman is less likely to gain any excess weight (www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/effectsofexerciseonpreg.html). An expectant mother should watch her diet and try to eat healthy foods and the foods that are needed to enrich the fetal growth. A woman should not try or even expect to lose weight by exercising