Stages of Pregnancy And Exercise

Staying healthy and fit is essential for a Mom-to-be, however many women are rightly concerned about what exercises are appropriate for the different stages of pregnancy. It is absolutely essential to consult with your doctor about any types of exercise during pregnancy, even if you were active and routinely exercised prior to becoming pregnant. Working closely with your physician will be critical all through your pregnancy, especially if you notice any changes, discomfort or pain in any type of activity or exercise.
In the first trimester of pregnancy most women will be able to continue with their normal exercise routine. It is usually recommended to limit any type of high impact types of activities and move to a more low impact exercise. Avoid stressing the body during this time by attempting prolonged high intensity types of workouts or events. Most physicians recommend keeping your heart rate under 140 beats per minute.  Women that haven’t already been on an exercise program can start with walking, a great low impact exercise for any stage of fitness.
In the second trimester continue the low impact activities but listen to your body. Exercises such as weight lifting or body sculpting types of activities should be limited and only done under consultation with a doctor. Even competitive level athletes need to be highly cautious at this time and reduce their training intensity and duration. Finally in the third trimester  stages of pregnancy it is essential to avoid any physical stress on the body, so walking, light weights with lots of reps and light training levels are all that should be attempted.