Many women look into bettering their overall health when they plan a pregnancy, but good habits should start with a healthy conception. In addition to regular doctor’s exams and other medical advice, diet and exercise can help with conception and help support a healthy pregnancy.
Exercise
Although heavy or extreme exercise should be avoided during pregnancy, there is nothing to prevent you from preparing your body for a healthy pregnancy. Implementing regular exercise into your schedule will not only help you increase your stamina for labor and delivery, but it can also improve your fertility (especially if have polycystic ovarian syndrome that can lead to trouble conceiving). There is no need to wait until you are pregnant to start exercising, as making it a habit is guaranteed to also help you lose the baby weight faster!
A variety of physical exercises can be done to spice up your routine but remember that during a pregnancy you need your back and abdominal muscles to be stronger in order to help you with the increasing weight in your tummy area, as well as the swelling of your breasts. As such, you may want to focus on exercises that strengthen your core and will eliminate the pain most women experience during pregnancy. It is also suggested that you do cardio to keep your heart rate up and stay in good physical and mental health before, during, and after your pregnancy.
Diet
Diet and exercise go hand in hand, so here are some tips on what foods you can add to your diet to help you support your fertility:
- Eat foods rich in antioxidants, as those have been proven to improve fertility in both men and women. These foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains.
- Choose a bigger breakfast, which can help both balance your diet and improve the hormonal effects of polycystic ovarian syndrome—a major cause of infertility.
- Add fiber to your diet though fruits and veggies, whole grains, and beans. Fiber generally helps remove excess estrogen, though studies on its exact advantages are not yet conclusive.
- Get your protein from vegetables! Swapping meat protein with veggies has been known to protect against infertility.
In addition to adding those foods, you should avoid the following:
- Minimize trans fats that can be found in processed and fast foods.
- Cut down on caffeine, especially if you drink more than 500 ml in a day. Low to moderate caffeine consumption should not interfere with fertility.
- Reduce refined carbs: sugary foods and drinks, as well as processed grains increase your blood sugar and insulin levels and have been associated with the risk of ovulatory infertility.
- Avoid alcohol, especially during the pregnancy! When you are still trying to get pregnant, moderate amounts of alcohol should not harm your fertility, but excess is to be avoided.
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You’re constantly being told that you should exercise, but it can be hard to find the time—let alone the motivation! Maybe you don’t have to lose weight. Maybe you realize that the images of women’s bodies you see in magazines are as phony as a three-dollar bill. But the best reasons for getting exercise are not about how you look. There are several health issues that you can treat, or avoid, just by exercising regularly.
- Exercise will keep your heart healthy. Your heart is the hardest working muscle in your body, and any exercise that elevates your heart rate and breathing makes your heart healthier and stronger. And if you have a family history of heart disease, enjoying regular exercise can add a few years to your life.
- Exercise helps relieve stress. And we all have stress! Whether at work or at home, whenever you’re feeling stressed, get up and go for a walk or a bike ride. It’ll help calm you down and use that nervous energy for productive results.
- Exercise plays a major role preventing osteoporosis, a disease that is particularly prevalent in women. Lifting weights, running, yoga and other activities can help delay or even prevent osteoporosis.
- Exercise helps moms set a great example for their children. You’ll be teaching them about self-discipline and demonstrating how to be healthy, and the energy you get from exercise can only help you with parenting!
- Exercise may prevent certain cancers, especially breast cancer. That’s a great reason to do it.
- Exercise will lift your mood! You’ll feel great when you exercise regularly. It releases endorphins into your bloodstream that will help you sail through most of your day.
- Exercise will help you live longer! Research has proven that you can extend your lifespan by exercising regularly.
- Exercise can help you lose weight, or just control and manage it. Either way, you’ll avoid many health problems associated with being overweight.
So, what kind of exercise should you be doing?
Get some cardiovascular exercise for sure, but don’t take it too easy on yourself. If your workouts consist of lifting light weights and slow-paced cardio, you likely won’t get great results. Try:
- High-intensity training – you need to sweat and increase your heart rate.
- Heavier lifting – Doing fewer reps with more weight will burn more fat and increase your strength.
- Focusing on your upper body more often – This is an area that women need to concentrate on building.
And don’t forget, you don’t have to join a gym to get exercise. Walk, run or bike around the block, chase your kids or your dog around the yard, or lift weights while you’re watching TV. As the old slogan said, “Just do it!”
Looking for a top OBGYN practice in Buffalo? The doctors at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello MD are committed to helping our patients achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We are committed to women’s health. Call us to find out more information about our practice or make an appointment today!
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