Exercise is a great way to start your day. It doesn’t need to be strenuous. Any type of movement is great for your body. You’ll feel the benefits of moving more during pregnancy immediately and your baby will start reaping the benefits in utero, too. If you didn’t exercise before pregnancy, take it easy and start with something gentle like 10 minutes of slow passed walking or pregnancy yoga. There are forms of yoga to suit any fitness level and It’s safe to do in pregnancy. With the right modifications it can help you to stay fit, strong and supple

Here are 10 additional reasons why you should exercise during pregnancy…so go grab your trainer, what are you waiting for?!

1. You’re likely to gain less weight. Research shows you might put on 3kg less than pregnant women who don’t work out, while still staying within the healthy weight-gain range.
2. Labour and delivery may be easier. No guarantees, of course, but strong abs and a fit cardiovascular system can give you more oomph and stamina for the pushing stage. One study found that prenatal water aerobics regulars were 58 percent less likely to request pain medication during labour than non-exercisers. Wow!
3. You lower your gestational diabetes risk by as much as 27 percent. High blood sugar during pregnancy puts you at extremely high risk for developing type II diabetes in the decade after delivering and raises the odds of preterm delivery or having an overweight baby. If you do develop it—and many fit women do because genetics and age play a significant role—exercise may help prevent or delay your need for insulin or other medications.
4. You get that “prenatal-spin-class high.” Active mums- to-be report better moods than their sedentary peers, both immediately following a workout and in general throughout their pregnancies.
5. You’re less likely to cry, “Oh, my aching back.” Some two-thirds of pregnant women experience back pain, but water workouts, yoga and pelvic tilts can offer relief. Exercise during the second half of pregnancy seems to be especially helpful.
6. You’re less likely to get constipated. Pregnant women’s intestinal tracts often get backed up due to high progesterone levels and a growing uterus, but exercise, along with a high-fibre diet, keeps your digestive system humming.
7. You have more energy. On days when lifting your remote control seems like a tall order, even a 10-minute walk can revive you.
8. Odds are, you’ll deliver a svelte baby. Babies born with excess fat are significantly more likely to become overweight pre-schoolers, and overweight new-borns of mums with gestational diabetes are more prone to develop diabetes later in life.
9. You can enjoy the greatest flexibility of your life. Relaxin, a pregnancy hormone that loosens your pelvic joints in preparation for delivery, also relaxes the rest of your joints. With careful stretches, like those done in prenatal yoga workouts, you can capitalize on this window of opportunity.
10. You’re more likely to avoid a forceps delivery, C-section or other intervention. Regular exercisers are 75 percent less likely to need a forceps delivery, 55 percent less likely to have an episiotomy and up to four times less likely to have a Caesarean section, research has found.

I hope that’s inspired you to add a bit of movement into your day and throughout your pregnancy.

Happy Saturday! x