Can Exercise Really Be that Important to my Diet in Pregnancy?

No matter what magazines or books you read about a healthy diet in pregnancy, you will undoubtedly come across the section dedicated to the importance of exercise while you’re expecting. For those of us who have never been very consistent with working out before baby, the chances are that when you are fighting fatigue and nausea the last thing you may want to do is tie up your running sneakers and hit the gym.

But before you roll your eyes and skip over this, keep in mind that while it may seem like the opposite of what your body is telling you to do, exercise can help energize you even when you think you may be more tired than you’ve ever been.

How Much Exercise is enough for a Healthy Pregnancy Diet Plan?

It may sound like a lot, but getting 4-5 days of moderate exercise in a week will greatly improve your quality of the hours you spend awake and help you to sleep more soundly at night. Since being pregnant can impede on a good night’s sleep, a body that is tired from healthy movement will be much more apt to fall into a deep rhythmic sleep than one that is still cranked up from a long day without any hope of energy release.

Remember, your body was made to move, so get some oxygen flowing to the body. Exercise is an excellent way to expel stress, increase blood flow to your growing little one, and to give yourself an outlet while dreaming up new color schemes for the nursery or adorable baby names.

This is especially true, if you find yourself towards the end of your pregnancy. Once you enter waiting mode, which can be stressful – a good old fashioned walk or 30 minutes on an elliptical machine or treadmill will help rid yourself of the pre-baby jitters and get to your due date healthy and in great shape for delivery.

They say that Exercise releases Happy Hormones, is that the same During Pregnancy?

Sometimes pregnancy can bring on some pre-baby blues. This is a normal occurrence since all of the hormones in your body are on full alert, making a mish-mash of your emotions. Exercise is not only a great way to keep pregnancy pounds within the recommended range, but it can also release endorphins into your blood which can help with circulation and yes, make you feel a little sunnier!