Healthy Exercise During and After Pregnancy

By Luanne Barnas, owner

At one time, pregnant women were advised to avoid any exercise during pregnancy. Today, experts know that exercise in pregnancy has a whole list of benefits from reducing fatigue and fighting depression to helping preserve a positive body image and making for an easier post-pregnancy recovery. Just keep a few tips in mind

Don't pick up the pace. Maintain your current workout intensity but don't aim to increase the load. If you haven't been working out at all, talk to your doctor about your plans before starting.

Minimize impact. Choose low-impact options, like cycling, swimming, and walking, over jarring moves (like jogging).

Watch your form. During pregnancy your body releases hormones that loosen muscles and joints. Your growing belly also shifts your center of balance, so be especially aware of safety.

Pace it. Keep your heart rate below 140 beats per minute.

Hydrate. Drink lots of fluids before, during, and after exercise.

Stay cool. Avoid outdoor workouts on hot or humid days.

Listen to your body. If you're not feeling up to it, just skip the workout.

Energy In, Energy Out

There is a secret to losing weight and keeping it off, but it's not magic it's science.

It all boils down to calories in and calories out. To gain a pound, you have to eat 3,500 extra calories beyond what your body needs to function. To lose a pound, you have to burn 3,500 extra calories. The problem? It's a whole lot easier to eat calories than it is to burn them off.

Do you know your perfect workout range that magic spot where you'll burn the most fat and calories and build lean tissue? If you say it's when you feel like you can't possibly work out any harder, you're wrong. Actually, working out to an intensity that is painful or uncomfortable is bad for your body, and leads to an anaerobic state that burns muscle instead of fat.

Estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.

Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.6 to get your lower limit.

Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.9 to get your upper limit.

Once you have your ideal heart rate range, aim to work out at the lower limit for longer periods, rather than for shorter periods at the higher level. And don't worry about taking it too easy you'll build more muscle (and burn more fat) by keeping your intensity in check. Now that's a winning workout.