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Safe Exercise Guidelines During Pregnancy |
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Pregnancy Exercise Guidelines  | Before you begin your exercise program, get your doctor's approval. Certain medical conditions may require modification or elimination of your workout plans.
|  | Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercising, particularly in the hot or humid weather. This holds true for swimming as well, as an increase in core body temperature in the early stages of pregnancy may cause difficulites.
|  | Always include a warm-up and a cool-down period when working muscles. Gentle stretches will prevent strains, joint injuries and muscle cramps.
|  | Dress comfortably in clothes that keep sweat off your body and wear shoes that have proper heel cushioning to avoid injuries to the foot or Achilles tendon.
|  | Don't overflex or overextend the knee joints, as with deep knee bends, unless your body is well-conditioned for these motions. During pregnancy, joints are more prone to injury due to the prevalence of the pregnancy hormone Relaxin, which softens ligaments and tendons.
|  | Stop exercising immediately if you experience symptoms such as chest pains, shortness of breath, uterine contractions or vaginal bleeding.
|  | Eat a balanced diet, preferably five to six small meals or snacks per day, to replace the calories and glucose used by your working muscles during exercise.
|  | Avoid exercising on your back after the first trimester or whenever you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseated. The weight of your uterus puts pressure on the vein responsible for returning blood from the lower body to the heart.
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