Exercising During Pregnancy

Exercise Tips For Fatigue and Morning Sickness
Fit Fitness Into Your New Lifestyle
-- By Becky Hand, Licensed and Registered Dietician

Before pregnancy, you were actively involved in an exercise program and you planned to incorporate fitness into your daily routine. However, now that you're pregnant, the morning sickness and the afternoon fatigue have you too pooped to move. You are wondering if there is any way to fit in fitness.

Fatigue is a normal part of pregnancy, especially during the first and third trimester. This doesn't mean you should ignore it or resign yourself to being continually exhausted. As always, fatigue is a signal from your baby that you should slow down. Take the hint:
Make rest and relaxation a priority.

Cut back on the nonessential activities.

Make sure your spouse or partner and family members are helping out with the household chores.

If possible, try to get extra sleep at night or take a nap during the day.

Make sure your diet is nutritious and well balanced.

And remember, too much rest and not enough exercise can heighten the fatigue. Morning sickness and nausea can occur in the morning or anytime throughout the day. Sudden intense movements can make it worse. Therefore, try to get your queasy stomach under control first (Morning Sickness Help.)

Continue with some light stretching and warm-up movements. Then, move on to your exercise plan.

Playing it safe is important once you start to feel some relief from the fatigue and/or nausea. Try to incorporate some light exercise into your day, with your physician's approval.

Have a light snack and drink water or juice about 15 - 30 minutes before your warm-up.

Wear comfortable shoes that protect your feet and joints.

Wear clothes that are loose fitting and stretch when you move.

Wear cotton undergarments that will let your body breathe.

Divide your exercise into 2-3 brief sessions if possible.

Do exercise slowly.

Do not do a rapid series of repetitions.
Rest briefly between movements.

Never exercise to the point of exhaustion.

If there is any pain or strain, STOP!

A little perspiration is fine; a drenching sweat is a signal to STOP.

You should be able to carry on a conversation with someone next to you.

You should feel exhilarated, not drained, after the exercise.

As you begin to feel better, gradually increase the level of activity.