Exercise/Diet During Pregnancy

If you follow my blog by now you know that proper diet and exercises are essential to both the health of a pregnant mother and their baby. In my post, A Dash of Exercise I talk about the importance to exercising during pregnancy to prevent illness. In Ready To Love Being Pregnant? I share resources to help women answer some of their top pregnancy questions. Additionally, in my post, Ready…Set..Share! I created a platform for you to link with other mothers to share stories, questions and more. Furthermore, in my post, Fact or Fiction? Pregnancy Addition I address some of the main myths about diet and exercise during pregnancy.

In this post I aim to share with you some of the best apps that you can use to give you exercise ideas and diet advice while pregnant. This is important due to the lack of education women have regarding exercise and diet during such an important time of both their baby and their lives.

Prenatal Workout is an app that you can use to maintain or develop a fitness routine during pregnancy to build strength, balance and endurance. For $7.99 a month Prenatal Workout will give you a new exercise regiment everyday. The workouts are designed by physicians and according to what trimester you are in. You can even set the app to remind you at certain times of the day to compete your exercise so that you stay on track.

For each exercise the app shows an example video of how to preform the exercise correctly and safely. Within any given exercise during your workout there is a timer that counts down and rings when the exercise has been completed. If there is a certain exercise you don’t like or that doesn’t work for your body then you can skip or if you need a break you can just press the pause button.

The app allows you to look at your workout history and save exercises that you enjoyed so that you can come back to them later! Lastly, this app offers advice such as the importance of daily exercise, safely of exercises and much more.

Pregnancy is free an app that provides an exercise program for women who are planning on becoming pregnant, are pregnant or have just had a baby. In addition to daily workouts the app provides 30-day challenges such as a squat, yoga and butt/thigh/leg challenge. In these challenges you do the same exercise but each day but increases in duration and intensity as you get stronger.

Pregnancy shows the amount of consecutive days that you have been exercising, the total number of days you have exercised, and the total number of hours you have exercised during your pregnancy. This makes it easy for you to set goals, see your progress and keep up with your fitness.

If there are any exercises that you haven’t encountered before or that you want more instruction on the app offers a portfolio of all the exercises that includes a description, benefits and proper tequnique for safety.

The free app pregnant food Pregnant Food provides mothers to be with information and knowledge about foods/drinks that are safe to consume during pregnancy. The app lets you look up many different types of food including fruit, meat, veggies, and more. There is both an option to search a specific food or browse amongst many different foods so you can expand your food awareness.

Pregnant Food shares additional advice on the best ways foods should be prepared or cooked so that it is the most beneficial for both the mother and baby in addition to causes the least amount of risk to their health.

Overall apps are a great way to set goals, lean more, and stay connected during your pregnancy. Although I only mentioned three apps in this blog post there are hundreds of apps on the market that cover a range of topics related to pregnancy, motherhood and much more!

Being pregnant is such a stimulating time but this experience also brings out many questions. I know that you want what is best for your baby so I put together a list of myths to debunk and provide you with knowledge so you can be healthy and happy during pregnancy. In this post I aim to provide you with fun facts about diet and exercise during pregnancy along with provide resources so that you can further your understanding on your own!

MYTH 1- Exercising during pregnancy will hurt the baby.

Exercising during pregnancy is not only safe it is recommended! 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise such as walking, swimming, or yoga or 150 minutes of mild/vigorous aerobic exercise such as running, biking, or group fitness class is recommended throughout the week. However, it is important that your heart rate does not exceed 140 beats per minute during exercise so be careful not to overexert yourself. If you are already an active individual, then you should continue with your regular exercise routine with slight modifications!

MYTH 2- There is no addition benefits other than your appearance to exercising during pregnancy.

Exercise is important for many reasons other than how it effects the way you look. Proper gestational weight gain is essential to remaining healthy during pregnancy and exercise is a great way to help only gain the recommended amount. In addition, exercise has been shown to help reduce pregnancy related complications, help reduce morning sickness and help promote healthy sleep.

MYTH 3- You can’t gain too much weight during pregnancy because you are eating for two.

Although weight gain is important, too much weight gained during pregnancy can lead to major health issues for both the mother and baby including gestational diabetes which I talk about in my blog A Dash of Exercise. If you are unsure about weight gain here is a table to reference!

-Underweight Women: BMI less than 18.5 — GWG between 28 and 40 pounds 

-Normal weight Women: BMI between 25 and 35 pounds — GWG between 18.5 and 24.9

-Overweight Women: BMI is between 25 and 29.9 — GWG between 15 and 25 pounds

-Obese Women: BMI 30 or above — GWG between 11 and 20 pounds

*GWG = Gestational Weight Gain or weight gained from time of conception to birth of infant

MYTH 4- All yoga is safe during pregnancy.

Attending a prenatal yoga class is a great way to exercise during pregnancy! Being a prenatal yoga teacher, I know that every person has a different body and each mother should do what feels best for them because they know their own body best. With that in mind, however, some general things to avoid in yoga when pregnant are backbends, twists at the abdomen, any pose where feet are over the head, lying on your back, hot or Bikram yoga. If practiced safely yoga has many benefits including reducing blood pressure, building strength/flexibility, and teaching breathing techniques that can be used during labor.-

Now that you have learned a little about pregnancy and exercise I want to provide you with some resources to help further your knowledge. Medical News Today has multiple articles regarding pregnancy including a post titled, Which Foods to Eat and Avoid During Pregnancy. The American Pregnancy Association is a national health organization that promotes wellness for pregnant populations through providing education, support, advocacy and a community. Pregnancy.org is a great resource to not only provide information but also gives you a platform to share with other mothers. To learn more about these resources check out my blog Ready to Love Being Pregnant?

Shout Out to the Resources I Used to Create this Post

Carey, Elea. “What Exercises Are Safe in the First Trimester?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 17 July 2017, www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/first-trimester-exercise-fitness#pilates3.

Committee, Nutritional Status During Pregnancy. “Nutrition During Pregnancy: Part I: Weight Gain, Part II: Nutrient Supplements”. 1990

“Eating Disorder Statistics • National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.” National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/.

“Gestational Weight Gain — United States, 2012 and 2013.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Nov. 2015, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6443a3.htm?s_cid=mm6443a3_w. 

Gestational Weight Gain, www.simcoemuskokahealthstats.org/topics/pregnancy-and-before/health-during-pregnancy/gestational-weight-gain

Kaplan, Karen. “Too many women gain too much weight during pregnancy, CDC says.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2015, www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-pregnant-women-weight-gain-20151105-story.html. 

Plakans, Brenda. “Teaching Prenatal Yoga: What You Need to Know about the First Trimester.” Yoga Journal, 11 Mar. 2008, www.yogajournal.com/teach/tools-for-teaching-prenatal-yoga-the-first-trimester.

Plakans, Brenda K. “Tools for Teaching Prenatal Yoga: The Third Trimester.” Yoga Journal, 9 Apr. 2008, http://www.yogajournal.com/teach/tools-for-teaching-prenatal-yoga-the-third-trimester.

Plakans, Brenda. “Tools for Teaching Prenatal Yoga: The Second Trimester.” Yoga Journal, 26 Mar. 2008, www.yogajournal.com/teach/tools-for-teaching-prenatal-yoga-the-second-trimester.

“Pregnancy: Exercise During Pregnancy.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/baby/exercise-during-pregnancy#1.

Rasmussen, Kathleen M., and Ann L. Yaktine. Weight gain during pregnancy: reexamining the guidelines. National Academies Press, 2009.
“Women’s Health Care Physicians.” Weight Gain During Pregnancy – ACOG, www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Weight-Gain-During-Pregnancy

Woman’s health is such an important topic, as a woman myself, I strive to empower other women to seek education, a community, and more in regard to their own health. You can read further about the importance of women’s health in my post A Dash of Exercise. Overall, this blog serves as a home base for women, particularly those who are or wish to become pregnant, in addition provides resources, advise, and a place where we can connect.

During pregnancy many questions such as how to exercise or what foods are safe to consume may arise, my blog post Ready to Love Being Pregnant? gives many resources to answer these questions and many more.

I love to unite with other women and create a community where we feel comfortable sharing with one another. I am a certified yoga instructor and have taught prenatal yoga for years. I have worked alongside a trained Doula for over a year and have a passion for helping women bring new life into this world. To learn more about me you can check out my website @Boundless Roots, follow me on Facebook @Josie Masri, Vimio @yoga, or Instagram @josie130!

LETS CREATE A COMMUNITY!

One of the main goals of my blog is to help women relate to one another. Motherhood is an exciting time but can often be overwhelming especially if you are a first-time parent. This blog is a place where you can connect with other expecting mothers, ask questions and tell stories of your own experience.

LETS BE SAFE AND SMART TOGETHER!

I would love to hear from all of you, however, it is important to remember that what you post on the internet is permeant. Juan Enriquez, in his Ted Talk, states that every post should be thought of as an electronic tattoo. Today, the internet allows us to have a wide range of communication and freedom, but it is also critical to remember that what you say will last forever.

We wouldn’t want our little ones to grow up and then find out we posted something about them on the internet that is potentially hurtful or dangerous. The words we post will likely to last past our own time on earth and thus we should be very thoughtful about what we wish to leave as a lasting impression of ourselfs.

Another important thing to remember when sharing tips and tricks about being pregnant is to give credit to the person who you received the information from. Whether you are answering another mothers question, or just sharing an incite you found, make sure to let others know where the information is coming from. State where you got the information in your comment and link the article or another individual.

Additionally, if you choose to share any of the information found on fitmama.health.blog make sure to link my site and give me a shout out.

I am so excited to create this community with all of you and I can’t wait to see where our conversations will take us!

Pregnancy is such an exciting adventure but during this time you might have a lot of questions regarding proper diet, exercises choices, fashion, health issues and much more. I have provided a few resources that will help you answer some of your top questions so you can navigate your pregnancy like a pro!

Some resources, talked about in this blog, are very formal and written by Doctors and health professionals while others are written by fellow parents. All these resources are meant to be used in conjunction with one another in order to provide you with the most information as possible for different aspects of pregnant life. I aim to answer some of your top questions and direct you to resources to further you education on the topic so you can focus on loving pregnancy!

What are some recipes, stylish clothing choices and workout ideas during pregnancy?

Maintaining your fun, individual life during pregnancy can be hard, however, Pinterest is a social networking tool you can used to share images, videos, quotes, stories, and more. You can save posts by “pinning” them to your own or other users “boards”. “Boards” can have themes, be shared public or private and can be created by individuals or by groups.

Pinterest is great for lifestyle advice or to share interests/projects including tips for exercise and diet during pregnancy. Ben Silbermann, the founder of Pinterest, launched the sight in 2010. Today about 320 million users are active on the sight each month.

The information posted on Pinterest might not always be the most creditable due to anyone having the ability to post information on the sight so if you are seeking concrete advice about pregnancy you should consult multiple sources. However, Pinterest is a great place to find recipes, pregnancy fashion, and workout tips for the mother to be!

What can I eat during pregnancy?

Knowing what food, you can and cannot consume during your pregnancy is so important not only for your own health but for the health of your baby. Medical News Today has multiple articles regarding pregnancy including a post titled, Which Foods to Eat and Avoid During Pregnancy.

Medical News Today is owned by Healthline Media, a company biased in San Francisco, it aims to give readers the latest news/ research in the medical community. This sight targets both the general public and physicians with over 70 million users monthly.

You can use this site to gather information regarding proper nutrition, calorie count, and what foods to and not to consume during different stages of pregnancy. It is a great resource for mothers to be and their loved ones. Also, make sure to follow Medical New Today’s Twitter for quick updates on the most recent medical news.

Should I be exercising during pregnancy?

A common misconception is that it is dangerous to exercise during pregnancy, the American Pregnancy Association does a great job of explaining not only the importance of prenatal exercises but also how to do so safety. Whether you are looking to begin or maintain physical activity during your pregnancy this is a great and reliable resource.

The American Pregnancy Association is a national health organization that promotes wellness for pregnant populations through providing education, support, advocacy and a community. The president, Lynn Handley, has volunteered for non-profits for most of her adult life and strives to fulfill the American Pregnancy Associations goals of helping pregnant women.

How can I hear from other expecting parents?

During your pregnancy questions, stories, and insights are going to come up. Pregnancy.org is a great resource to not only provide information but also gives you a platform to share with other mothers. This platform allows you to ask questions, tell stories, and get other mothers insights. In addition to asking questions this site provides a place for parents to write articles on the top health issues to share with others.

Pregnacy.org also has a twitter feed that contains health tips like “keeping your teeth and gums in top shape during pregnancy”, a place to share your due date to find other mothers expecting around the same time, exercise advice (particularly preventing gestational diabetes) and much much more.

Pregnancy.org is operated by Optum a health services company that offers care, pharmacy services, healthcare, and education.

Where can I find a printed resource for pregnancy health issues?

If you are someone who wants a non digital resource, Fit Pregnancy Magazine might be right for you! Fit Pregnancy is a bimonthly magazine that gives health information from OBGYN’s and Pediatricians. One of the leading authors for the magazine is Dr. Jay Gordon who’s moto is “No one knows your child better than you do”. In his articles he follows this notion even during pregnancy.

Fit Pregnancy Magazine has been ranked the number one resource for first time moms! On average the magazine has about 2 million subscribers of first time mothers, pregnant women, and parents.

Fit Pregnancy magazine is great resource if you believe that a mother’s intuition is an important aspect of pregnancy. In addition, Fit Pregnancy covers topics such as psychological health, exercise tips, nutrition, beauty, and other health issues.

I hope that some of your top questions about pregnancy have been answered and this list of resources has allowed to further your education on topics regarding pregnancy and motherhood. In addition to these resources there are many other twitter, instagram, facebook, books and websites out there!

Why is proper diet and exercise such an essential part of pregnancy?

Pregnancy is such an important part of many individuals’ lives weather they themselves get pregnant or their loved one. Many people get pregnant and about 3,800,000 women give birth annually! Although this can be a very exciting part of people’s lives today pregnancy-related illness such as gestational diabetes mellitus has been on the rise. About 2-4% of women in the United States are affected by GDM or the development of high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. A top priority in reducing the instances of GDM, and other pregnancy-related illnesses, is through educating women, mothers, and their loved ones on the importance of proper diet and exercise before and especially during pregnancy. This blog will aim to give diet and exercise tips for a woman who is expecting!

Protonate factors influencing the health of both a mother and their baby include stress levels, environment, diet, exercise, and emotional support. According to the American Pregnancy Association (a great resource to all mothers), proper exercise during pregnancy can result in a reduction of swelling during pregnancy, increase energy, improve mood, improve sleep, make labor easier, and prevent or treat gestational diabetes. Additionally, a proper diet can promote healthy weight gain and reduce the incidence of disease for both the mother and baby. Lastly, education on the risks of environmental factors such as smoking, alcohol or drug consumption has both on the mother and baby are very important due to the lasting effects on both individuals.

Overall, pregnancy should be a fun, rewarding and memorable time for both the mother, baby, and loved ones. With these tips and tricks on how to eat well, exercise in a safe way, and treat a pregnant body with care we aim to reduce to risk of illness and spread awareness regarding health during pregnancy!