PregActive (Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness)

From the moment you first realize that you might be pregnant until the moment you’re holding your baby in your arms, it can seem like you’re on an emotional roller coaster ride. Pregnancy can be both exciting and challenging, and if you’re struggling to feel your happiest, you’re certainly not alone. During pregnancy, you will experience a wide range of emotions. 

From taking care of your mental health and maintaining your physical fitness to eating healthy food, is  what all you need to work during pregnancy. Maintaining a regular exercise routine throughout and after your pregnancy can help you stay healthy and feel your best. Regular exercise during pregnancy can improve your posture and decrease some common discomforts such as backaches and fatigue.

Even after childbirth, some parents hesitate to get back into a regular exercise routine. But it's not as easy as hopping on the treadmill or rejoining your fitness classes. New parents should be realistic and patient when it comes to postpartum workout plans—after all, it took around 40 weeks to grow your pregnant body, and it can take nearly as long to feel like you're somewhere closer to your pre-pregnancy self.

Physical exercise can help strengthen muscles and avoid back pain when carrying the baby. You can also strengthen postural muscles and avoid unnecessary weight gain post-birth. Exercising can help balance appetite, strengthen pelvic floor muscles and put joints, muscles and ligaments back into correct length and tension after going through labor.

Here are the benefits of Prenatal Fitness;

• Promotes healthy weight gain during pregnancy
• Reduces back pain
• May decrease risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes
• Helps speed up recovery postpartum
• Increases overall fitness
• Decreases risk of high blood pressure associated with pregnancy

Here are the benefits of Postpartum Fitness;

• It helps strengthen and tone abdominal muscles.
• It boosts energy.
• It may help prevent postpartum depression.
• It promotes better sleep.
• It relieves stress.
• It can help you lose the extra weight that you may have gained during pregnancy.

 Depression is a common complication in the prenatal and postnatal period due to increased stress and insufficient social support. Exercise is a potential non-pharmacological therapy. Regular exercise is also associated with lowering blood glucose and improving sensitivity. To optimize weight and overweight, exercise is one of the main parts of treatment.