Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?

Are friends and family telling you that you ought to stop going to the gym now that you are pregnant? Or have you just had your big fat positive, and are worried about the effects of work outs on your growing embryo yourself? The question whether it is safe to exercise during pregnancy is bound to crop up sooner or later. What do you need to know about the safety of exercising while you are expecting a baby? If you are newly pregnant and are not feeling too tired, or too nauseous, to continue working out, then there is absolutely nothing that prevents you from doing so! Pregnancy is probably not the best time to start a new weigh-lifting regime if you previously led a sedentary life, as it might put too much of a strain on your body.

But if you were a gym-junkie before you found out you were pregnant, then you will only be doing your body a favor if you keep at it. As your baby and your tummy continue to grow and you develop a real baby bump, you will naturally feel that abdominal exercises are out of bounds, and you will steer clear of them. The best advice I can give you in this stage of pregnancy is to listen to your body, and stop doing anything that feels uncomfortable. The second piece of advice is not to listen to concerned family members and friends who tell you that exercise during pregnancy is not allowed. As long as you feel good, being physically active is very healthy for you. Women who are in excellent physical conditions and have active lives are setting themselves up for an easier labor and birth.

Labor and delivery is not unlike running a marathon it will test your endurance and stamina, and will leave you feeling like you were run over by a truck if you did not prepare. But any marathon runner will tell you that, with the right training, taking part in one is exciting and will test your body, but in a good way. Exercising during pregnancy will prepare you for the marathon you will be running at the end of your magical nine months!