Lee Archer, the owner of the Institute of Fitness Professionals has designed ‘Pop Fit’ for Virgin Active South Africa, an exercise programme for expectant and new moms. She looks at the five benefits of exercise during pregnancy.

Control weight gain

Research has shown that when exercising during pregnancy you are more likely to put on 3kg less than someone who does not exercise while pregnant. A healthy weight gain (10-16kg) during pregnancy is and should be expected.

Pop Fit classes are closely supervised to ensure that the exercise programme is safe for expectant moms

Helps with labour, delivery and recovery

Unfortunately, this is not a 100% guarantee but having a strong cardiovascular system will give you more oomph and stamina in the pushing stage of labour. Research suggests that women who continue regular weight-bearing exercise throughout pregnancy show a marked decrease in the need for pain relief during labour, in the incidence of maternal exhaustion, and in the need for artificially rupturing the membranes to stimulate the labour.

Decreased pregnancy related discomforts

Studies indicate that women who exercise regularly during pregnancy have a lower occurrence of lower back.The three factors that seem to influence a decrease in maternal discomforts include exercise that is regular, weight bearing and sustained over time.

Regular exercise in the general population is associated with lower incidence of upper respiratory infections.

Researchers have observed that exercising pregnant women experience lower incidence of colds, flu symptoms, sinusitis and bronchitis. On the other hand people who exercise too strenuously have an increased incidence of upper respiratory infections. Moderation is key!

A good spinal stretch under supervision is one of the favourite exercises!

Increased levels of stamina

Regular exercise increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the haemoglobin, so that with each breath more oxygen is delivered to the tissues as well as the growing foetus. This puts less strain on the heart muscle and contributes to increased stamina.

Pregnancy in itself stresses the cardiovascular system of the mom, therefore the combination of being pregnant and exercising improves aerobic capacity.

Happy mom, happy pregnancy, happy baby!

Pregnant ladies and new mothers who exercise, tend to have a more positive attitude than those who don’t. In any case, women who exercise regularly during and after pregnancy report a better body image and overall feeling of wellness.

Staying active during pregnancy will make your pregnancy more comfortable and ease post birth recovery, not to mention a healthy body and mind. And a healthy mom equals a happy baby

The post Exercise during Pregnancy: Why you should be doing it appeared first on All4Baby.

Pregnancy symptoms differ between person to person and in fact pregnancy to pregnancy. It is not uncommon for a mom to have a completely smooth first pregnancy with no morning sickness, heartburn or any other discomfort; yet the second pregnancy will be riddled with painful and uncomfortable symptoms.

The good news is that your diet can help relieve the symptoms and side effects of pregnancy.

Snack throughout the day to reduce nausea

It is not certain why so many women experience nausea during their pregnancy but it is thought to be a combination of the rapidly increasing hormone levels, general body changes and an enhanced sense of taste and smell. Batteling nausea? Try these tips…

• Have a dry carbohydrate snack when waking up, for example dry toast or crackers
• Be sure to drink enough fluids
• Have small regular snacks throughout the day to stabilise sugar levels
• Have a snack that is high in protein before bed, for example yoghurt or nuts
• Avoid cooking foods that make you feel ill especially very oily or greasy foods

Combat heartburn by cutting your portions

During pregnancy the hormone progesterone relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter which connects the oesophagus to the stomach. This allows stomach acids to seep back up into the oesophagus and cause that burning sensation. It can be extremely painful but your diet can help to reduce the frequency of the pain:

• Cut down on the quantity at one sitting. Instead eat smaller, more frequent meals
• Chew properly and eat slowly
• Avoid lying down after eating, rather remain seated
• Cut down on spicy foods, fatty meals, caffeine and peppermint
• Have liquid between meals rather than with meals

Fiber fights constipation

The muscles within the intestine tend to become more relaxed during pregnancy which results in reduced motility of food through the digestive tract. In addition to this, there is also increased pressure from the uterus which slows the movement of food. Aim to do the following:

• Increase fiber intake to ±25g per day (more brown and whole wheat products)
• Increase water intake
• Eat a minimum of 5 vegetables and fruit a day (eat the skin when permissible)
• Eat regular meals and avoid skipping meals

The post Dietary tips to deal with pregnancy discomforts appeared first on All4Baby.