Exercise & Pregnancy

I started this blog a while ago in hopes to relay all of my applicable knowledge on exercise and nutrition, however, I found myself in quite a pickle when I found out I was pregnant.  This being the first time, it was quite a shock (seeing as we weren't planning on becoming pregnant) and because my whole life seemed to change.

In the beginning, I felt sick constantly and had very strong food aversions.  I could eat fruits, potatoes, breads, and crackers.  Anything more normally made me feel pretty sick afterwards.  I also didn't move much.  Exercising was too strenuous and walking for too long made me feel very nauseous.  So I thought, how can I keep this blog up when I can't even eat and exercise properly?

However, I've learned some important things since then.  The most important is to remember to do as what you can.  Luckily, many grocery stores sell prenatal vitamins that can help insure that you get the vitamins that you need so if all you want is bread and peanut butter, you can eat all you want of that and take your prenatal vitamins.  Once you start to come out of the first trimester and are able to eat normally again, then is the time to start worrying about making sure you are eating a well-rounded diet, as well as intaking a prenatal vitamin.

Second, exercise when you can.  There's no point in trying to work out if you don't feel well.  It is miserable and only makes you not want to do it the next time.  For me, during that first trimester, I made sure I parked far away from a store so I had to take a walk to the front doors.  Once inside, if I had time, I'd stroll around the store.  It was a nice break from lying on the couch most of the day.  Then, if I had to, I would find somewhere to sit and just relax for a while before continuing on.  When my energy levels started improving as I worked my way into the second trimester, I would gradually try to increase the amount and intensity that I would walk.  But keep in mind, don't do more than you feel like you can.

The last main thing to remember is to not start new physical activities.  For example, I love to play tennis.  I have played for the past 12 years and the winter and lack of indoor tennis courts is the only thing that stops me from playing.  Since tennis is not a new thing to my life, if I choose, I can continue playing tennis.  However, soccer is something I've never really picked up.  Therefore, soccer isn't something I should start playing until the pregnancy is over.  There is a risk for serious injury to you and the baby by starting something brand new.

To go along with this, make sure you talk to your doctor about a fitness program.  It is very important to exercise during pregnancy, however, if you were not an avid work out person before becoming pregnant, it is necessary to talk to the doctor about what you can do now.  They will help provide some simple but effective exercises to help make sure you stay healthy, as well as keeping your baby healthy while it is still growing and developing.