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Get On The Ball! Best Exercises for Moms-to-Be

January 26, 2015

The holidays are over and everyone is trying to get back in the swing of things for the New Year, including moms-to-be.  Fitness, often on the New Year to-do list, is a major component of maintaining physical health and well-being during pregnancy.

Pregnant women should get at least 2.5 hours per week of moderate aerobic activity, and spread out exercise to 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity at least 5 days a week.1 When choosing an exercise plan during pregnancy women should look for low to moderate impact activities and avoid any activities where it’s possible to get hit in the abdomen or take a fall, like kickboxing, soccer, horseback riding or gymnastics.  It’s best to talk to your doctor about a specific exercise plan to confirm it is right for your individual situation.

Below are some low to moderate aerobic activities that are great options for moms-to-be:

Walking

Walking is probably the easiest activity to start with for those that are new to physical fitness. Treadmills are a great way to maintain a consistent pace and incline. But for those that don’t have a gym membership or treadmill available to them, any flat surface with little to no incline will suffice. Always wear proper footwear and stay hydrated. Start off slow and progress gradually to a faster pace. But be sure to cool down. You should be able to talk while exercising. If you find that you’re having trouble carrying on a conversation, slow down your pace.

Swimming

Swimming is excellent for moderate aerobic activity but is lower impact for bones and joints. Swimming is a great option for pregnant women who may already have some injury to joints or bones. Plus, swimming uses both large muscle groups (arms and legs) and can counteract back pain from an expanding belly. Like walking, it’s best to start slow, gradually increase your pace and always cool down. If you didn’t swim before pregnancy, you should be ok to start. But check with your doctor to confirm it is suited for your specific situation.

Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal and Hatha yoga are the best choices for pregnant women.2 Yoga is similar to other child-preparation classes because it focuses on stretching, metal centering and focused breathing…all things that will help leading up to and during delivery. A typically prenatal yoga class will include breathing, gentle stretching, postures, cool down and relaxation. Stay away from Bikram yoga, also called hot yoga. In addition, there are certain postures that pregnant women should avoid. Your doctor can discuss these with you in more detail.

No matter what exercise plan you choose, always pay attention to your body. While physical exercise is important, moms-to-be must always be aware of their body’s limits and never over do it. If you experience dizziness, headache, chest pain, abdominal pain, blurred vision or vaginal bleeding stop exercising and call your doctor immediately.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

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