Everyone knows that exercise is very good for your
health. During pregnancy, exercise can have many
other benefits as well. Normally, exercise should
be light, especially during your first few weeks
of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes.

Any type of heavy exercise can divert the blood
flow from crucial areas, and most women that exercise
on a regular basis should tone down their workout
regimen during pregnancy.

Swimming, walking, and yoga are two very popular
exercise activities that are suitable for pregnant
women. There are other forms of exercise such as
weight lifting that are acceptable as long as it
isn’t too strenuous. Most specialists recommend
exercise 3 – 4 times a week, unless you have a
medical condition that prevents it. If you are ever
in doubt, you should consult a physician first.

Below, you’ll find some of the best reasons as to
why you should exercise during pregnancy.
1. Exercise can help to reduce the length
of labor and recovery time. The right exercise
routines will also increase stamina that is needed
for delivery.
2. Improved mental health. Exercise can
lower stress and improve your emotional health,
making it easier for you to get through the
new experience of becoming a mother.
3. Exercise can also help with weight
management after the child has been born. A common
concern with most mothers is the weight they lose
after pregnancy. During pregnancy, exercise can
make postpartum weight loss easier.
4. Exercise is very good for your unborn
baby. By keeping your body healthy, you are also
looking out for your baby as well.
5. Exercise can help reduce the side effects
of pregnancy. Symptoms such as fatigue, headaches,
swelling, and constipation are all common with
pregnant women. Studies have shown exercise to
reduce the occurrence of these symptoms.
6. Exercise can also decrease the risk
of premature birth. Exercise has been proven to
decrease the risk of premature birth by at least
50%.

You should always make sure that you drink plenty
of fluids before you exercise, follow a nutritious
diet, and avoid over exertion. You should also
listen to your body, and if you start feeling
sick you should immediately stop and rest.

If you exercise during your pregnancy, you’ll find
it a lot easier to deliver when the time comes.
Exercise will help your body strengthen up, which
will make it very easy on you when you go into
the delivery room. Women who don’t exercise find
it much harder when the time comes to give birth.

Exercising during pregnancy is one of the best
things you can do for yourself and for your unborn
baby. Your baby will reap some of the benefits,
which is reason enough to exercise. Always be
safe when you exercise, and don’t hesitate to ask
a doctor for advice if you have any questions at
all. As long as you exercise safe and use good
common sense, you’ll do a world of good for
your pregnancy.

If you have a child of 6 to 8 years old that wants
to start exercising and lifting weights, you may
find yourself wondering what you should do. While
some think it is perfectly fine for children to
exercise, there are others that think differently.

The long and short of it is that yes, it is
beneficial for your child to partake in exercise
or a weight training regimen although there are a
few things that you should keep in mind once this
starts to happen.

No matter how you look at it, children aren’t
minature adults and therefore you can’t use the
same methods with growing children that you can use
with adults, as children are different from adults
emotionally, anatomically, and physiologically.

All children have immature skeletons, as their
bones don’t mature until they get 14 – 22 years of
age. With girls, exercise during childhood can
have very critical effects on bone health that
can last for their entire lives.

Children are often times vulnerable to growth
related overuse injuries such as Osgood schlatter
disease. Children have immature temperature
regulation systems due to their having a large
surface area compared to their muscle mass which
will cause them to be more susceptible to injury
when they aren’t properly warmed up.

Children don’t sweat as much as adults do, so
they will be more susceptible to heat exhaustion
as well as a heat stroke. Due to their low muscle
mass and immature hormone system, it makes it
harder for them to develop strength and speed.
Their breathing and heart response during
exercise are also different from an adults, which
will affect their capacity for exercise.

On the other hand, young boys and girls can
drastically improve their strength with weight
training although opposed to adults, neurological
factors instead of muscle growth factors are mostly
responsible.

When you consider programs for children, first and
foremost you should obtain a medical clearance.
The first approach to designing a program is to
establish a repetition range of 8 – 12 and keep
the work load appropriate for the range.

You should ensure that workouts are spread out
enough to have at least 1 – 2 full days of rest
between workouts. The main focus when working out
should be on the form of every exercise performed,
and not on the amount of weight being lifted.

Before weight training, warm up and stretching
should be done. Start your children off with light
loads and then make adjustments accordingly. No
more than 3 non consecutive exercise sessions
should be done in a week. You should also see to
it that they drink plenty of water before, during,
and after exercise. Getting enough water is very
important with exercise, as it is often times very
easy to get dehydrated – especially with children.