In todayβs world, people rarely get to walk much without putting in a conscious, intentional effort to do it. If we want to get somewhere we have our car, and a lot of us will drive even if the place weβre going to is within walking distance. Our jobs require us to keep sitting, the comforts of modern-day living enable us to stagnate, and itβs not until the consequences of our own sedentary habits start affecting us that we look for a solution.
For pregnant women or those looking to conceive, physical activity is one of the most important aspects of health, both for themselves and their baby. Itβs an easy way to stay fit and enjoy a whole slew of amazing health benefits, and most future mums can easily fit it into their schedule if they figure out a few tricks.
Are you interested in becoming more active and want to know how walking can help your pregnancy and fertility? Then read on and weβll give you all the info you need.
Walking Improves Cardiovascular Health And Immune System
Elevated blood pressure is not something you want to be dealing with at any point in your life, especially during pregnancy. A strong cardiovascular system means a strong body thatβs able to deal with the trials and strain of pregnancy, and walking is exceptionally good at helping you build up stamina and lowering your risk of diseases. It improves your immune response so even a simple cold wonβt affect you, and it can also simulate fertility, especially in women over the age of 30.
Lowers The Risk Of Gestational Diabetes
What affects the mum, affects the baby, and high blood sugar can increase the risk of delivering an overweight baby with poor health. It can also cause gestational diabetes even in young mothers, and that further puts the foetus at risk. Luckily, with the right diet and a lot of walking, you can significantly improve your chances of staying completely healthy and avoiding both high blood sugar and pre-eclampsia. While the goal of exercise before and during pregnancy isnβt necessarily to become exceptionally athletic, weight maintenance is important because underweight and overweight women have lower fertility rates and a bigger chance of miscarriage. A healthy BMI is a good indicator that your body is ready to conceive.
Very Easy To Commit To It
Walking is easy and it doesnβt require any special preparationβas long as you have a pair of cozy shoes, you can just go out and do it. You can organise your time so you walk back home from work instead of riding the bus, or go for relaxing strolls with your partner in the evening. The best thing about it is that you can easily modify it to suit your needs. Do speed-walking while youβre trying to conceive, and once the pregnancy test shows positive, feel free to lower the intensity. Listen to your body because thatβs the best way to figure out whether somethingβs good for you. If youβre exhausted after a workout, it probably means you need to slow down. If youβre full of energy, it means youβre doing well and that youβre on the right path.
Safe Way To Exercise
Walking is a low-impact kind of exercise that doesnβt strain the joints and itβs not full of jerky movements that might cause an injury. The chances of anything bad happening just because you decided to take a stroll are very minimal, and this is one of the safest ways to stay in shape for pregnant mothers. For women looking to be fit without risking over-exhaustion, this is also a very good solution. If youβre experiencing a high-risk pregnancy walking can still be a good idea, but in this case, itβs best to consult your OB/GYN because certain conditions will require complete stillness.
Lowers Stress Levels
Any kind of physical activity can lower your stress levels, because it increases dopamine and lowers cortisol levels in your blood. Walking has the added benefit of being easy enough to allow you to multitask and make things even more relaxingβfind an audiobook, create an uplifting playlist, or bring your camera with you and snap pictures of your neighbourhood that you can later put into a scrapbook to show your child. Some people even practice walking meditation to further manage stress and anxiety.
Increases The Chance Of A Normal Delivery
A strong, able mother has a much better chance of carrying her pregnancy with ease and delivering without any complications. Since walking helps circulation, tones your hip and core muscles, and increases flexibility, it means that the strain of having your body change in such a drastic manner wonβt take as much of a toll, and it could make labour a lot less painful.
Easier To Get Back In Shape Later On
A lot of women worry about their weight and how their body might look like during and after pregnancy, and walking is one way to make sure you keep looking great. Mothers who get pregnant while they are fit have a much easier time getting back in shape once they give birth, so if body image is an issue for you, this is a good way to care for it.
Walking is a pretty great way for anyone to get fit, but itβs especially good for pregnant women and those who are trying to conceive. Itβs safe, easy, and can be very fun to do, so start your walking exercises as early as possible and enjoy getting in shape.
Author Bio
Sophia Smith is Australian based fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger. She is very passionate about organic beauty products, yoga and healthy lifestyle. Sophia writes mostly in beauty and lifestyle related topics, mainly through blogs and articles. She is regular contributor at High Style Life and Ripped.
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