Why Exercise During Pregnancy?
Your body is under a lot of strain during pregnancy. The bones, muscles, joints, and organs are all struggling to keep up with the demands of your growing baby. Your body could sure use some help. That's where exercise comes in. It gives you all the benefits it gives to any exerciser, and then some because you're pregnant.
We know that exercising during pregnancy offers you the same benefits as exercising at any time, including…
- Improved muscle strength.
- Improved blood circulation.
- Reduced fatigue, more energy.
- Improved mood and emotional well-being.
- Less weight gain.
When you exercise during pregnancy, you get even more, including…
- Increased muscle strength and tone to help you carry the extra weight of your baby.
- Less swelling of legs, feet, hands, face.
- Relief from constipation.
- Less physical discomfort from achy legs and back.
- Increased strength and stamina to get through the demands of labor and delivery (the average labor requires stamina equal to jogging 12 miles!).
- An easier time getting back into physical shape after delivery.
For all these reasons, this is a great time to get off the couch and exercise!
Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth © 2004 by Michele Isaac Gliksman, M.D. and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
To order this book visit Amazon's website or call 1-800-253-6476.
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