'Exercise' a dirty word?
Physical activities to get you started
Physical activities to get 'exerted'
'Too much' exercise?
Activities to be avoided for the woman
Part of enjoying good health and preparing your body for pregnancy, is including some regular physical activity into your lifestyle. This not only benefits your physical and emotional well-being, but if you can maintain it during the pregnancy and after the birth, it will support you while parenting and contribute to your long-term health. The advantages of having regular, physical activity can include:
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Increasing your chances for a healthy conception of a pregnancy sooner. Physical activity helps to balance the hormones in both men and women, contributing to regulating a woman's menstrual cycle and supporting the healthy production of an egg for the woman, as well as producing healthy sperm for the man. |
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Assisting both partners' emotional well-being. Helping you to deal with life's stresses, particularly if conception seems to be taking longer than you expected. |
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Helping you to sleep better and have more energy for everything you need to do. |
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Possibly contributing to some quality time with your partner, if you enjoy similar physical activities. |
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Preparing the woman's body for the physical demands of pregnancy, and both partners for the future demands of early parenting. |
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Giving the woman a certain level of fitness before she conceives a baby, so she does not have to suddenly 'get fit' during the pregnancy. |
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Strengthening your lower back and abdominal muscles to combat possible back pain. |
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Helping you keep within your healthy weight range. |
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If you smoke, physical activity has shown to help you quit. |