What are the best forms of exercise to prepare for pregnancy?

What are the best forms of exercise to prepare for pregnancy?

It’s never too late to start exercising, and trying to conceive can be one of the best motivators. Every mother wants to give their baby the best start in life, and your own health is a huge part of that.

When you’re pregnant, your body will have to supply a whopping 50% more blood, so cardiovascular health is essential. As the old cliche goes, your body will be going through a lot of changes, and the one that’s going to be the most noticeable for everyone else–the bump–is likely to come along with a certain amount of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. Fortunately, this can be mitigated against with core strength exercises before, during and after you give birth.

Being obese can also have a huge impact on your health and your baby’s health. Not only is it more difficult to conceive if you’re overweight, but it can also increase the risk of miscarraige and a whole host of other health issues.

But this is no time for doom and gloom! You’re about to go on the most exciting journey of your life, and having an exercise plan that you can stick to is a big part of making sure you’re taking the right steps every day to manage your mental health as you move closer to your due date.

With that in mind, let’s look at some of the best forms of exercise you can do to prepare for pregnancy.

Aerobic exercise

As mentioned above, you’re heart’s going to be pumping a lot more blood to facilitate the miracle of childbirth. Studies have shown that women who do regular, moderate exercise get pregnant quicker than women who don’t exercise regularly.

This isn’t easy for everyone, however. If you find running fairly mundane, you might be better off getting into a sport like tennis, or a group session at your local gym.

This blog from the Mayo Clinic has some great advice when it comes to fertility and exercise.

Strength training

The benefits of strength exercises are undeniable, and the NHS recommends them even when you get into your twilight years. Your ability to deal with the demands of pregnancy will be greatly increased if you have a decent level of strength, and it’s best to focus your training on the postural muscles of the upper back, glutes, low back, and inner thighs.

This blog from Spark People outlines six great exercises you can do to prepare for pregnancy.

Pilates

We might be biased, but doing Pilates is one of the best things you can do for your overall health, and it’s also perfectly safe to do during and after your pregnancy. At Pilates Klinik, we provide bespoke pregnancy Pilates sessions so that our expert instructors can work with you to address any imbalances you might have.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never done a minute of Pilates in your life, we can tailor a program to suit your needs. Our Pregnancy Pilates classes aren’t just about your physical fitness, either. Here you will have the chance to focus on the body in a holistic way which will also address the mental and emotional rigours associated with pregnancy.

Pilates helps you focus on your breath, which in turn can help you to control your mood. You get the benefits of an aerobic workout and the benefits of a strength workout, while also improving your balance and alignment. It will strengthen your pelvic floor and help to speed up your postpartum recovery.

At Pilates Klinik, we use Reformer machines which allow the user to perform a huge range of precise movements without putting too much stress on your joints. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced practitioner–we cater for everyone.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about our services, and good luck with your pregnancy!

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