Exercise. What does that word bring to mind? Love it or hate it or ignore it, whatever your feelings, exercise is a wonderful medicine! Exercising your body can improve a variety of conditions and ailments in pregnancy:
| Blood glucose | Backache |
| Blood pressure | Constipation |
| Muscle strength and endurance | Bloating |
| Posture | Swelling |
| Labor fitness | Mood |
| Weight management | Energy level |
| Circulation | Sleep |
Beside the improvements you can feel, exercise can help your baby in ways you cannot feel or see. Studies have shown that babies born to women who had regular physical activity were 50% less likely to be large for gestational age (LGA). Those babies who are LGA are twice as likely to be obese at 8 years of age. Babies born 9 pounds and over, are twice as likely to have diabetes in their lifetime. Keeping your unborn baby at a healthy weight can prevent health problems in the future. Physical activity is one of the ways you can not only feel better while you are pregnant but can help prevent obesity and diabetes in the next generation – that is powerful!
First, ask your provider if exercise is safe for you. If you are not exercising now, start with 5-10 minutes at a time and increase weekly as you become more fit. The safest exercises during pregnancy are walking, swimming and indoor stationary biking.
So, get busy and invest in your healthy pregnancy and your baby’s future health!
-Catherine Gray, CNS BC-ADM CDE