FIT MAMA – HAPPY MUM – HAPPY LIFE!
Generally everybody knows that being physically active has an important and positive impact on the human body. The list of benefits is very long, but I'm sure the few listed below will be enough to convince you to get started.
1. Lose Weight
One of the main advantages of exercise for many is losing excess weight and preventing weight gain. This is not only important for your appearance and mental attitude but also because obesity can lead to numerous health disorders such as: cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes type 2 and depression as well as many others. You may be surprised to hear that being physically active also helps to prevent further development of arthritis and can even prevent the development of some types of cancer!
2. Increases Muscle Strength and Resistance
While exercising you are enabling more oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to all the body tissues. Thanks to this your cardiovascular system works more effectively and when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy and strength to fulfill your daily tasks.
3. Better Sleep & a Positive Effect on your Sex Life
This is because exercise puts you in a good mood thanks to endorphins, the ‘happy’ hormone that your brain produces while you exercise. If you exercise regularly you will soon notice that your self-esteem increases, you will find yourself feeling more confident, sexier and as a result enriching your social life by meeting new people.
In a normal low risk pregnancy exercising is very beneficial for both the mother and the baby and that´s what I would like to talk a little bit more about in this article. I am a professional pre and post-partum fitness trainer. The reason I specialized in this sector is quite simple. Years back, before I got pregnant myself, I noticed that many mums-to-be, as well as young mothers, seemed to stop exercising when they became pregnant. I started asking around and found out that future mums were afraid to exercise during their pregnancy, thinking it may hurt their baby! Then I got pregnant with my first baby and was advised by a gym trainer that I should stop working out and swap weights for yoga or stretching exercises. What?! I just knew I had to do something about it. So I decided to take the matter into my own hands and got my Pre & Post-Partum Certification in Fitness Training. While relaxing and “opening” (stretching) exercises are very helpful and should become part of your routine during pregnancy, it is important to remind mums that labour and delivery are athletic events, and strong muscles are crucial to help you get through them as smoothly as possible.
If you have not trained before getting pregnant, it is a good time to start working on your physical background and strengthen your muscles little by little. Then later in your pregnancy, or during delivery and after your baby is born you will realize how important it is to have strong legs, arms, abs. You will avoid many discomforts that pregnant women often suffer and you will have a much easier delivery than women who have never trained. However, don’t forget, it is imperative that you ask your doctor for approval before doing any physical activity.
What about the post-partum period?
If you worked out during your pregnancy you will recover much faster. Even in the case of c-sections, as strong leg muscles are extremely important for the first few weeks after the birth when you are instructed to avoid using your abdominal muscles.
From a psychological point of view. You have now become a mum. Your baby means the world to you. I know this feeling! You feel like you want to spend 24 hours a day just carrying your baby. But you should also think about yourself! Some of you will probably say, “my baby is my everything now”. Well, it is for sure, but also there is a lot of the truth in the saying “happy wife – happy life”.
I am now a mother of two so believe me I know what I am saying. We look in the mirror and we don’t always like our new look. We may hate not being able to fit into our jeans from before we were pregnant. This can make you feel a bit overwhelmed. Lack of sleep, the thunder of hormones… suddenly you think nobody understands. Remember what I said before? Exercise releases happy hormones and puts you in a good mood thanks to those endorphins.
There is nothing wrong with having some time to dedicate to you and your body.Plus, it is a very important part of the post-partum period. If you don’t want to leave your baby, find a place where you can exercise and take your baby with you. I can bet any money it will change your life for the better and make you all happy: your partner, your baby and what’s most important it will make YOU feel happy!