Engaging in appropriate and regular exercise before planning to conceive can not only promote the proper balance of hormones in a woman's body, ensuring hormone balance and successful implantation of sperm during conception, but also reduce the difficulty and pain during childbirth. So what exercises are good during the pre-conception period?
Engage in aerobic exercises to enhance cardiovascular function
Aerobic exercise is the most effective pre-conception exercise method. The characteristics of aerobic exercise are low intensity, rhythmic, and long duration. Through this type of exercise, oxygen can fully decompose the sugar in the body and consume body fat, while also enhancing and improving cardiovascular function. Each aerobic exercise session should be maintained for 30-60 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week.
There are various types of aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobics, and various ball sports. People in the pre-conception period can choose suitable exercises based on their age and physical condition.
Walking is the simplest aerobic exercise
Walking can provide moderate exercise for the joints and bones of the whole body, and combined with a relaxed and comfortable mood, it can promote blood circulation, unblock meridians, nourish joints and bones, and invigorate the spirit and benefit the five internal organs. Walking not only helps to keep fit, but also enhances the immune system and prevents and treats diseases. It is a simple, effective pre-conception exercise method.
Key points for walking
Before walking, it is important to relax the whole body, move the limbs appropriately, regulate breathing, and stay calm and gentle. Maintaining overall relaxation is an important step to enhance the effectiveness of walking exercise. If the whole body is too restricted and tense, the muscles and joints cannot relax, and the muscles and joints cannot get relaxed exercise.
Walking should be done gradually and progressively according to physical strength, so as to avoid exertion and fatigue, and not to let breathlessness or panting occur. Over-exercising can lead to exhaustion and harm the body, which not only fails to achieve the desired exercise effect, but also harms the body.
Jogging or brisk walking to burn excess fat
Jogging or brisk walking can better consume energy and burn excess fat. For the same distance, the calories consumed by brisk walking and jogging are similar, and the risk of injury is also lower. Proper exercise before conception can effectively promote the reasonable allocation of hormones in women's bodies, promote the successful implantation of fertilized eggs, and prevent the risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy. It can also reduce the difficulty and pain during childbirth.
Pilates exercises to strengthen the waist and abdominal muscles
Pilates exercises mainly focus on strengthening the waist and abdominal muscles. Women in the pre-conception period who regularly practice Pilates can develop strong waist and abdominal muscles, which are beneficial for pregnancy and childbirth, especially in improving the rate of natural delivery.
Precautions for exercise during the pre-conception period
Warm-up exercises are necessary
It is important to warm up before exercise, preferably with some limb stretching exercises to prepare for aerobic metabolism exercise.
Avoid eating too much before exercise
Eating 1 to 2 hours before exercise is most appropriate, as food takes a considerable amount of time to be digested and absorbed after entering the stomach. If you eat too much before exercise, the stomach will be bloated, hindering diaphragmatic movement and abdominal breathing, which can affect health.
Avoid eating gas-producing foods before exercise, such as legumes, potatoes, radishes, and fish, as slow bowel movements make it difficult to expel gas, leading to gas accumulation and abdominal pain during exercise.
Avoid suddenly stopping during exercise
Suddenly stopping exercise during the exercise period can cause blood to not flow back to the heart in a timely manner, reducing the blood supply to organs and tissues throughout the body, resulting in dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and even symptoms of shock.
Avoid drinking large amounts of water or consuming cold drinks immediately
Drinking large amounts of water can burden the digestive system and blood circulation, as well as the heart, and can cause excessive loss of salt in the body, leading to muscle cramps and spasms. Avoid consuming cold drinks immediately after exercise, as the normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius, and after exercise, body temperature can rise to 39°C or even higher. Consuming cold drinks immediately can disrupt gastrointestinal function, causing spasms and abdominal pain.
Avoid taking a shower immediately
During exercise, blood is mostly concentrated in the limbs and skin. After exercise, blood has not yet returned and adjusted. Taking a shower immediately can further concentrate blood in the limbs and skin, which can lead to insufficient blood supply to the brain and heart, resulting in discomfort.
