Research has found that participating in moderate exercise during your pregnancy may encourage a shorter labor and a healthier you. Find out the way to de-stress and strengthen yourself for the Big Day.

The Advantages of Exercise
Even when you're not pregnant, the emotional advantages of regular exercise are great. Increasing your heart rate for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week reduces stress and anxiety as well as promotes a general feeling of well-being. Imagine how that could help with the extreme mood changes and hormone swings of pregnancy! In addition, keeping muscles stretched and flexible, and joints loose during pregnancy also makes movement easier as your belly grows and your body's center of balance shifts.

Prenatal Exercise's physical advantages are more expansive, since they cover your general health (which affects the health of your baby) as well as strengthening your body for labor. Women who maintain a moderate exercise routine during pregnancy are better prepared for birthing (they don't call it "labor" for nothin'), and have a greater chance at having a shorter, easier labor.

Don't Overdo It
Whether or not you exercised regularly before you were pregnant, making fitness goals during this time might cause harm to you or the baby. Exercise should be vigorous, but not extreme - you should never feel winded, dehydrated, or exhausted during or after a workout. Warning signs to look out for while exercising include: localized pain, chronic fatigue, spotting or bleeding, or decrease in fetal movement after workout. If you have any of these symptoms during or after exercise, call your doctor immediately.

Don't let yourself get dehydrated. Pregnant women who are maintaining an exercise regimen should be drinking about 3 liters of water a day. In exceedingly hot and humid weather more liquid may be required and exercise should be less strenuous. Exercise that requires bouncing around is also discouraged - like high-impact aerobics and mountain biking, which may cause harm to your developing fetus.

Which exercises are best?
There are three different kinds of prenatal exercises that will help your body in three different ways. No matter which kind of exercise you decide, be sure to check with your doctor before you start.

Cardiovascular/Low Impact Aerobic Activity
Exercises under this category include swimming, water aerobics, and brisk walking. Swimming and water aerobics are a great workout for your cardio system, and water is easy on your aching joints and muscles. Same for water aerobics, where you can move freely while your heart rate increases. Brisk walking - the kind that you can do while maintaining a conversation - not only gets your heart going, but also strengthens the muscles that you will use in labor.

Flexibility Exercises Joining a prenatal yoga class is a great way to stretch muscles that will be used in labor. Gentle stretches provide you with more flexibility in the muscle and joints, which will allow you an easier labor. There are other stretches you can do to improve flexibility and range of motion. Be sure to check with your doctor for the best exercises for you.

Muscle Strengthening
The stronger your back, legs, and abdomen are the time of labor, the easier all that pushing will be. Through exercise techniques like yoga or a prenatal aerobics class, you can find exercises that will isolate these muscle groups for increased strength and endurance.