Exercise and a nutritious diet go hand-in-hand to ensure a healthy pregnancy, experts tell us

Being pregnant is synonymous with change. This means change in bodily structure, change in weight, change in one’s priorities, but most importantly, change in one’s diet patterns. It has been determined, that remaining active during pregnancy offers several benefits to the mother and to the future newborn as well. During this period it is imperative to keep in mind that the goal of exercising during this period is to maintain your present level of fitness, not to improve it. But though gaining weight is both healthy and necessary, gaining excess weight is not, say experts across the city.

Renowned gynaecologist Dr Duru Shah says, “Exercise and diet both play a very important role in an expecting mother’s health. While it is important that they put on weight, it has to be through the correct intake of diet. Their diet should contain higher amounts of proteins in comparison to fats, because the proteins help the foetus build grey cells responsible for the intelligence. Often women tend to overlook this factor and work towards piling on weight by excess intake of fats, but go low on proteins.”

“During the first trimester, calorie gain is not of utmost importance as the foetus is not fully formed. During the second trimester however, pregnant women need to increase their calorie intake to 350. While fried foods amount to 350 calories, it should be substituted with a glass of milk, or toast which are far healthier. By staying in good physical condition during your pregnancy, you are also likely to have a shorter, easier recovery after birth, which is a big bonus,” explains nutritionist Niti Desai.

While diet is of utmost importance, fitness expert Nawaz Modi Singhania highlights the benefits of exercising, too. But she cautions: “Exercise should be done in moderation and only after consultation with the doctor. Expectant mothers should not attempt rigorous workouts if it has not been a part of their working out sessions before.”

The amount of exercise that mothers-to-be will be able to tolerate during these nine months, is directly related to how active they were before becoming pregnant. It is important that you remain physically active during this time, but rigorous and intense workouts should be avoided. Strenuous activities may harm the developing foetus, so instead of weight lifting, go for a walk daily for 10 to 15 minutes. Exercise not only helps you but also ensures a healthy and safe delivery.

“During labour, the muscles are automatically strained causing immense amount of pain to the patient, however exercise helps reducing the contractions and muscle strain. Thereby avoiding complications and assuring you of a safe delivery,” says gynaecologist, Bindu Balani.

Things you should keep in mind while exercising:

- Monitor your heart rate during exercise. Your heart rate should never exceed 140 beats per minute. In order to avoid your heart rate from going this high, walk at a normal pace.

- Make sure that your body temperature doesn’t exceed 100 degrees. Walk at a normal pace and choose a time and place where it is neither hot nor humid. Walking either early in the morning or in evenings is the best time.

- Avoid exercises that can potentially harm you or your baby, such as rock-climbing, horseback riding, etc. Be careful when using a motorised treadmill, since it is easy to trip and fall. Some good forms of indoor exercises are swimming, water-walking and yoga.

Although exercising is essential, it is mandatory that you seek the advice of your practitioner. Your practitioner will be able to tell you what types of exercises you can do, for what length of time, and how often you should do them. However do not let all this stress you out. Pregnancy is a time to relax and feel as comfortable as you want.