If you’re not motivated to do it for yourself do it for your growing baby. Three reasons to exercis

Finding out you’re pregnant is probably one of the most exciting and scary moments of your life.  Whether you have been trying or it is a total surprise, your whole world is about to be turned up-side-down.  Starting with your body.

Before you know it morning sickness will set in, your desire to eat large amounts of carbs will be overwhelming and the exhaustion that you feel will probably be like nothing you have ever felt before.  With all of these changes happening your motivation to workout may go right out the window.

Now is not the time to lose that focus that got you to the gym every day.  We all know how exercise benefits us personally but what a lot of us don’t know is how exercise benefits your growing baby. 

3 reasons to exercise that benefit your baby more than you.

1. Exercising a minimum of 3 times per week at a moderate intensity enhances fetoplacental growth.  That mean the placenta grows faster so more blood and nutrients can cross the placenta to your growing baby.  This faster growth rate means baby’s born to exercising moms have a higher birth weight.

2.Babies born to exercising mothers have higher APGAR Scores. The APGAR score is a test done at 1 and 5 minutes after birth to determine if there are any immediate problems with the infant.  The areas tested are…
           -Activity (muscle tone)
           -Pulse (heart rate)
           -Grimace (Response stimulation or Reflex irritability
           -Appearance (skin tone)
           -Respiration (breathing)
The scale ranges from 0-2, 7-10 being normal, 4-7 may require additional medical care and below 3 necessitates immediate medical attention.

3.Studies show babies born to exercising mothers are more relaxed during labor and adapt more readily to life on the outside….enough said.

You can start with something as easy as taking a brisk walk in the early stages of pregnancy and work your way up to other activities as your energy improves and the nausea fades away.  Either way you will feel good and be proud that you did something for you and your baby.