Diving Into Pregnancy
If you are looking for a way to stay fit and feel better taking a dive into the pool could be just what the doctor ordered.
Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise in general and is considered the most ideal exercise for pregnant women.
Why? Swimming does not add any more stress to the body, it does not increase strain on the joints and most importantly to a pregnant woman, you feel weightless.
With that being said, it is very important that it is pointed out that swimming is just like any other exercise.
If you swam daily before you became pregnant, chances are pretty good that you can continue your routine with little to no modification.
However if you were not someone that swam every day, diving in an trying to do 50 laps or so is not going to be a good idea.
The key is to start off slow.
You do not want to over exert yourself.
You also need to make sure that you warm up before doing the swim and make sure you take the time to stretch and cool down once you have completed your laps.
Chances are that you will find taking a daily swim to be one of the most beneficial things you do for yourself and your baby while pregnant.
Still not convinced? Here are just a few of the many benefits of swimming while pregnant.
Swimming uses large muscle groups in both the arms and the legs simultaneously.
Actually swimming is one of the only total body workouts that are low impact.
Swimming provides an excellent low impact cardio workout as you enjoy feeling weightless despite the extra pounds that pregnancy has added.
Swimming also helps to improve your body's ability to use and process oxygen, improves muscle strength and tone, improves overall circulation and helps to build endurance.
Your pregnancy week by week should be your guide to how much swimming you should be doing.
You can start a swim routine at any time during your pregnancy as long as you start slow and pay attention to what your body is telling you.
During the first trimester you should aim for about 20 minutes of swimming every other day.
If you are a victim of morning sickness consider swimming in the morning.
Believe it or not swimming can help decrease the severity of morning sickness, yes it can also make it worse.
Listen to your body.
The second trimester you can pretty much stick with the routine you already have in place.
That is the beauty of swimming.
Your pregnancy week by week will not slow down the swim.
You will most likely have to invest in a maternity bathing suit, but you will not have to decrease the number of days you are swimming or the time.
The third trimester is often the best trimester to truly enjoy taking a swim.
Being in the water, your joints are supported, which is great because it is the 3rd trimester that the majority of the weight gain and discomfort really takes place.
Swimming will help prevent overheating during pregnancy which can be bad for you and the baby especially if your third trimester happens to be during the summer months.
Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise in general and is considered the most ideal exercise for pregnant women.
Why? Swimming does not add any more stress to the body, it does not increase strain on the joints and most importantly to a pregnant woman, you feel weightless.
With that being said, it is very important that it is pointed out that swimming is just like any other exercise.
If you swam daily before you became pregnant, chances are pretty good that you can continue your routine with little to no modification.
However if you were not someone that swam every day, diving in an trying to do 50 laps or so is not going to be a good idea.
The key is to start off slow.
You do not want to over exert yourself.
You also need to make sure that you warm up before doing the swim and make sure you take the time to stretch and cool down once you have completed your laps.
Chances are that you will find taking a daily swim to be one of the most beneficial things you do for yourself and your baby while pregnant.
Still not convinced? Here are just a few of the many benefits of swimming while pregnant.
Swimming uses large muscle groups in both the arms and the legs simultaneously.
Actually swimming is one of the only total body workouts that are low impact.
Swimming provides an excellent low impact cardio workout as you enjoy feeling weightless despite the extra pounds that pregnancy has added.
Swimming also helps to improve your body's ability to use and process oxygen, improves muscle strength and tone, improves overall circulation and helps to build endurance.
Your pregnancy week by week should be your guide to how much swimming you should be doing.
You can start a swim routine at any time during your pregnancy as long as you start slow and pay attention to what your body is telling you.
During the first trimester you should aim for about 20 minutes of swimming every other day.
If you are a victim of morning sickness consider swimming in the morning.
Believe it or not swimming can help decrease the severity of morning sickness, yes it can also make it worse.
Listen to your body.
The second trimester you can pretty much stick with the routine you already have in place.
That is the beauty of swimming.
Your pregnancy week by week will not slow down the swim.
You will most likely have to invest in a maternity bathing suit, but you will not have to decrease the number of days you are swimming or the time.
The third trimester is often the best trimester to truly enjoy taking a swim.
Being in the water, your joints are supported, which is great because it is the 3rd trimester that the majority of the weight gain and discomfort really takes place.
Swimming will help prevent overheating during pregnancy which can be bad for you and the baby especially if your third trimester happens to be during the summer months.
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