“No! You are not eating for two,” admonishes Dr. Shilpa Shah, lifestyle health consultant. “ Two hundred and fifty calories is all the extra calories you need per day if you are pregnant, “ she says. It is important to eat nutritious food, but it is as important to have an active lifestyle, she advises. “Most pregnant women tend to become sedentary, especially when family members advise them to avoid any physical activity, including household chores.” Shah also conducts Lamaze classes where she focuses on breathing techniques, appropriate exercises and yogasanas. Shah firmly believes that if the body is healthy, the mother can bond better with her unborn baby
Shah recommends:
Walking for 30 to 45 minutes at a moderate pace.
Warming up and exercising the joints to keep them moving and flexible.
Doing back stretches like the cat and camel stretches
Contracting lower butt muscles, doing back bends, and forward bends. This is to tone up abdomen and back muscles that will sag after delivery and may lead to back aches post delivery.
A cautionary note: High intensity workouts like aerobics should be avoided and those who are pregnant for the first time can take it easy in the first trimester
Fitness expert L. Reshma of Pink and Fitness One also urges pregnant women to stay active. She says there are work out routines that are specially tailored for pregnant women. She says “Household chores that involve bending, stretching, and squatting also help. With a combination of walking, warm up and stretches, one can easily cover 10,000 steps a day and stay fit. It is these postures we modify scientifically as a fitness routine.”
Reshma recommends :
Pelvic floor exercises.
Swimming that is a low intensity workout can be done right through pregnancy.
Stretch exercises for outer thigh muscles, and ones that strengthen the spine posture.
Mild workouts, asanas, and breathing exercises during the second trimester improves flexibility of core muscles
A cautionary note: Workouts are applicable for healthy pregnant women whose BP and diabetes are under control and they have a normal functioning of thyroid.
“It is all about staying stress-free,” says yoga instructor V Balakrishnan, who is the son of 99-year-old yoga expert Nanammal. They jointly run the Ozone Yoga Centre.
Balakrishnan recommends simple asanas
Badhanakonasana ( butterfly pose that stretches the thighs, groin and knees and increases flexibility
Utthana paadasana (Asana done lying on the back and raising the legs to strengthen abdominal muscles)
Maarjaari (cat or dog pose) that makes the spine flexible and assists in normal delivery
Caution: Please consult with your gynaecologist before starting on any fitness routine
Eat right
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First trimester: This is when the baby’s vital organs are formed and the mother needs folic acid in plentiful. While there are folic acid supplements, nothing can beat green leafy vegetables that are packed with it
Second and third trimester: The baby is growing and needs more proteins, carbohydrates and fats. So eat sprouts, vegetables, eggs, lean meat or fish ( avoid deep fried foods). For calcium needs have diary products, nuts, dry fruits, raagi, and green leafy vegetables and fruits
Through out the pregnancy stay hydrarted and drink plenty of fluids
Eat frequent meals and munch on something every two hours. This helps control heartburn and acidity
Nuts ands vegetables help control cholesterol levels.
Cut down carbs. Go in for whole, unpolished grains instead of polished white rice. Avoid maida and white sugar
If you have cravings, eat what ever it is but in a controlled portion
To prevent food poisoning, avoid eating street food and raw fish and salads
Breathe right
It is important to breathe mindfully. Breathing exercises act as a bridge between mind and body. Correct breathing techniques pump more oxygen into the blood. It can calm you down, relax, banish your anxieties and in the process calms the baby down too
Pranayama and chanting can also create positive vibes. A healthy pair of lungs can hold as much as five litres of air. Musical instruments like flute, nadaswaram or blowing a conch help in improving the lung capacity
