Please welcome Andrea Page. Andrea is one the leading experts in pre and postnatal fitness in North America and founder of FITMOM Fitness and we are thrilled to have her as a part of our team. Check in regularly for her tips on pre and postnatal fitness as well as parenting advice on a range of topics. If you have specific questions for her, please leave a comment or email us at info@beYOU.tv.

FITMOMs Feel Better Eight years ago, as a single mom pregnant with my first child, I gave up the one thing that keeps me grounded – my active lifestyle. Fitness fell to the side during that pregnancy partially because of the misinformation given to me by my caregiver. I didn’t feel the consequences right away, but when I was eight months pregnant, I began to realize my pregnancy was out of control!

A 60 pound weight gain and pregnancy-induced hypertension, which actually go hand and hand, had set in. This led to a premature delivery, which led to breastfeeding issues, which led to postpartum depression.

Looking back now, I see how much I was influenced by the myths surrounding pregnancy and exercise and how I used them to justify my sedentary pregnancy and postpartum lifestyle. But was I happy?

Absolutely not!

Eating better and exercising can help you derive the same benefits no matter what your age or your stage of life. But there are many benefits for exercising mothers in particular.

FITMOMS feel better and babies born to exercising mothers score higher on their APGAR testing. Moms who exercise cope better with labour as a result of their increased endurance (you wouldn’t show up to a race untrained would you?). Being your best during this time of life and throughout motherhood will allow you to better handle the demands of motherhood on your body and your mind.

While there is research to support these claims, some caregivers remain overly cautious when it comes to dispensing advice in this area to moms. I recently was asked to be a contributing editor to the Canadian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ book called, “Healthy Beginnings.” The guide is available to consumers and is distributed to caregivers to give them up-to-date information and help them better serve their patients. Initiatives like this one are a huge step in the right direction.

Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to sit back and put your feet up. So what are you waiting for? Get movin’ mama!

Andrea

If you have specific questions for Andrea, please leave a comment or email her at info@beYOU.tv.


Posted under: Motherhood, Women's Health