Exercise regimen for healthier pregnancy
Exercises ensure a proper and relaxed sleep during pregnancy. It helps in reducing the anxiety levels. It increases muscular and cardiovascular endurance and gives great relief from nausea and breathlessness. It helps boost mood by increasing the level of feel-good chemicals in brain (such as endorphins).Post delivery, it helps regain shape and helps in losing weight. Following childbirth, a woman has gained almost an average weight of 12.5kg. She can expect to regain her pre-pregnancy figure in about 6 to 12 weeks. Exercising also helps tighten the pelvic floor muscles, abdominal muscles and strengthen the back muscles. Postnatal exercises tend to be aimed at strengthening, toning and supporting pregnant woman during her recovery period, rather than losing weight or getting fit.
A controlled exercise regimen
Postnatal exercises can begin within a week of giving birth. However, women who have had a Caesarean birth are advised not to exercise till about 7 to 14 days post operation. More rigorous exercise regimen is not advisable till 6 weeks after the birth. Exercising is advisable under the guidance of a physiotherapist as strenuous fitness regimes can decrease milk production during the lactation period of the lady.
The new mother should not expect to have a ''flat tummy'' within weeks post delivery. She should accept that it took baby 9 months to grow inside her body and it will take several months for her body to return back to shape. Some women achieve this within about 3 to 4 months; others take 9 to 12 months.
It’s very important to check with the consulting physician of pregnant woman for any potential limitations of exercise.
Exercise routines during pregnancy should be performed with high level of safety and caution. Exercises that make a pregnant women feel uncomfortable or stressed should never be performed. The lady should always drink plenty of water before and after exercise routine. If at any time of exercise, the lady feels light headed or dizzy, the exercise should be immediately stopped. She should be made to lie down, and drink plenty of water. In latter stages of pregnancy, the lady needs to be extra careful about getting up and down; Try not to bend from your abdomen area.
