How can exercise benefit your pregnancy?

In a multitude of ways, the most important being: maintaining postural stability, boosting circulation and mitigating the common discomforts of pregnancy including back pain. If that sounds a lot like the role of chiropractic in pregnancy it is because exercise and chiropractic complement eachother in the quest to make your pregnancy more comfortable. Physical activity is different during each successive trimester, and it should always be performed with a measured, careful approach. At our office in Dunedin, we are pregnancy chiropractic specialists and we have been helping women in our community use exercise in support of healthy, successful pregnancies from day one through to the postpartum period and beyond. 

Exercising in the first trimester

*Always consult with a health professional before starting any exercise plan during pregnancy*

Whether you were a devoted gym rat or a couch surfing hero before your pregnancy is irrelevant. It is time to start thinking of the two of you: if you are a gym rat, you are going to need to tone it down; if you are a couch surfer, you are going to step it up, but only slightly. A further caveat for gym rats is to ensure that anyone you work with at the gym is aware of your pregnancy! The intensity of your workout must be modified to account for it. Exercise during the first trimester should focus on: 

• Stretching: always warm-up and cool-down before and after exercise to make sure your body is in a receptive state to exercise 
• Hydrate religiously: whether you are working out or not, hydration is all-important. 
• Focus on low-impact exercises: you are going to have to stop running eventually; now is the time to start thinking about what you will do instead.

Appropriate forms of exercise for the first trimester include:

• Water-based activities
• Running is still alright
• Walking- speed walking
• Pilates and Yoga
• Weight training

Feel your best during pregnancy with chiropractic

Exercise is also important for managing the excess weight gain that comes with pregnancy. By observing some simple rules of thumb for exercising, you can get a head start on improving the comfort of your pregnancy during the first trimester. At Hayes Family Chiroprfactic, we are standing by to help you maintain body balance and relieve spinal pressure by focusing on spinal alignment and massage for the soft tissues in the back. If you are interested in adding chiropractic into your pregnancy care plan, give our office in Dunedin a call to schedule an appointment today.