Philosophy of Pregnancy Fitness
While the word fitness may bring to mind sweating and buff bodies, this image is not appropriate for pregnancy. Fitness during the nine months of pregnancy is more about health and wellness than at nearly any other point in your life. In fact, many women and their families do not even start on the path to fitness until they become pregnant. This major life change alters the outlook and goals you have in nearly every respect. It is a time to re-evaluate your priorities for a healthy lifestyle.
The goals of pregnancy fitness are to maintain the strength and wellness that you currently have, while preventing physical problems from occurring. For the woman who is already very fit this might mean actually slowing down a normal workout as the pregnancy advances. Clearly, if you are just starting a fitness program, exercise will be an increase in your activity.
Though an increase in activity should not be a drastic one, as pregnancy is not the time to rebuild your body, you can still safely begin a fitness program during pregnancy. As you look at the benefits of exercising while pregnant, it is very obvious what the answer should be: Just do it!
Essential
If you are used to exercise, continuing down that path in pregnancy is natural. For those who have not exercised before it may be more difficult. Amanda Ralston, one mother, remembers that getting out and walking was the best thing she could do. It kept her from sitting on the couch but did not require a lot of planning or effort. It also led to a continuing passion for walking after the birth of her baby.
