How to Get & Stay Fit During Pregnancy

By: Shana Adams (@bbgtonline) In March 2013, a relative of mine learned that she was pregnant. At the time, she was just your average everyday woman. Average height, slightly overweight, and didn’t exercise much. At the beginning of her second trimester, she was told that she had preeclampsia and she needed to monitor her diet closely. I immediately went into research mode on ways she can get/stay fit during her pregnancy to ensure that everything went as close to normal as possible. Here are a few pointers that I found: Water, walking, and more water. Staying fit is all about the basics, even in pregnancy. Everything thing I read emphasized the importance of drinking lots of water. By drinking at least 2 liters of water a day (more if you’re really working out), you stay hydrated, you’re not as sleepy and the likelihood of you being nauseous reduces significantly. Low impact exercise also helps. Walking and swimming are great for pregnant women because it is not too stressful on the baby. Aiming for 20 to 30 minutes of walking three times a week is enough aerobic activity so you’re not over doing it. Swimming is also good because you weigh less in the water and are able to move around more without too much trouble. When you’re eating for two, eat good food. Just because you’re eating for two doesn’t mean you have the go ahead to eat crappy food. Just like my relative, whether you’re dealing with complications or not, you have to watch what you eat even more to properly nourish your child. Avoid sugar and junk food, for obvious reasons. These are foods you should avoid even when you’re not with child. Eating quality meat, eggs, nuts aka protein is essential to staying fit during pregnancy. If you tired, be quiet and go to sleep. Sleep is the cure for all ills it seems. When you’re pregnant, resting goes hand in hand with proper nutrition. You may want to go hard in the gym but take it easy. Take at least a week off from your walking/exercise routine once a month. Going through a pregnancy causes your body to go through immense changes. Getting/Staying fit during pregnancy increases the likelihood that you will maintain that lifestyle after your give birth. Being pregnant is stressful enough so make it a little easier on yourself by getting and staying fit.   Shana is a 25 year old communications professional who took her health into her own hands and started her weight loss journey mid 2010, but really took charge when she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2012. She is the creator of the health and fitness blog Big Boned Gets Toned! You can also view her Big Boned Gets Toned! weight loss vlog on YouTube.  

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