Gaby
It’s no secret that living life to the fullest is important, regardless of health issues or immune system concerns. You probably want to always look and feel your best, allowing yourself to indulge in whatever your heart desires. At your age, this comes easily. However, despite the advantages of a young, energetic body, poor environmental conditions, constant stress, and heavy workloads during school and later at work can weaken your immune system, leading to various health problems. That’s why it’s essential to keep your body active, helping it stay in shape and overcome any challenges—after all, movement is life. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many diseases, brings joy, and simply enhances your overall well-being. By taking care of your body, you’ll improve your life!
Of course, we’re not suggesting you wake up one morning with the goal of joining the Olympic team. That’s not the point at all. We want to convince you that on that morning, you’ll wake up thinking, “I am going to be a mother. Healthy, young, and happy. And on the day I actually become one, my body and my entire system will be ready for it.” Indeed, being in good shape is important for everyone, but especially for a future mother: during pregnancy, you’ll be carrying a baby whose weight increases weekly, and during childbirth, you’ll need flexible, strong pelvic, abdominal, and back muscles, as well as elastic ligaments. Afterward, you’ll be running after an active little one, carrying them in your arms as they grow heavier, all while juggling various tasks.
Therefore, to avoid collapsing from exhaustion as a mom, take care of your physical fitness in advance. There are countless options and activities to choose from. The key is to engage in something you enjoy and that brings you pleasure. Whether it’s aerobics or swimming, dancing or morning gymnastics, jogging, tennis, or badminton—pick what resonates with you. Gather your team, make workouts enjoyable by ensuring you have comfortable shoes, well-fitted clothing, great music, and a cozy space to exercise. Don’t forget that monitoring your workload is crucial, and keep in mind that one of the most common mistakes women make is wanting to achieve their ideal shape in just a few days. So, gather your inspiration and get started!
First and foremost, it’s important to know that strength training, various gymnastic exercises, running, swimming, and games all contribute to transforming blood throughout the body, meaning every internal organ receives beneficial nutrients. Another crucial point is that physical activity is essential for successfully losing weight and maintaining an optimal weight over time.
The most natural forms of exercise that don’t require special training include brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and running. Indeed, walking is a relatively gentle form of physical activity. To develop such an important trait as endurance, it can be just as effective as running or swimming (provided you engage in it for a long time and at an intense pace). Walking strengthens muscles, the cardiovascular system, and the respiratory system, helping to burn calories. It’s recognized as one of the preventive measures against varicose veins in the legs. As we know, such issues arise when blood flow is obstructed, which can be caused by many factors. Pregnancy is a significant contributor, as it increases the load on the leg veins. Of course, beautiful, slim, healthy legs are a hallmark of every woman. To achieve or maintain that, there’s no time to waste, especially since you can walk anywhere—on the streets, in the park, up the stairs, even while shopping during your next retail therapy session or simply strolling with friends.
Another beneficial and easy form of physical activity is swimming. Japanese researchers have long noted an interesting trend: women with the exotic profession of “pearl divers” always had easy, uncomplicated births and welcomed healthy babies. Learning to swim is simple (if you don’t already know how). You can swim throughout your life, choosing from various water exercises like aqua aerobics or even synchronized swimming. Swimming provides a comprehensive training effect and helps develop body flexibility. It positively impacts the central nervous system, alleviating excitability and irritability, while the water itself boosts metabolism and cleanses the skin.
Cycling, though not as common, is another reliable form of physical activity. However, to achieve noticeable results, you should ride for at least half an hour at a time, at least three times a week. Overall, cycling helps strengthen leg muscles and effectively benefits the heart and lungs. Plus, there’s the sheer aesthetic pleasure of enjoying the surrounding scenery and pleasant company, especially if you bring a friend along for your “bike passion.”
Morning runs are traditionally considered extremely beneficial for the body. However, it’s essential to approach this correctly, following expert recommendations and, as they say, without excessive fanaticism: running at a moderate pace for 20-25 minutes a day is quite sufficient.
Aerobics and fitness are popular among many women. However, if you don’t know how to dance or simply don’t enjoy it but want to move to music, you might prefer strength aerobics, which focuses on building endurance and improving body composition. Dance aerobics is a fantastic opportunity not only to learn Latin, samba, or hip-hop dance but also to get a workout. There are also aqua aerobics programs that help burn fat and combat cellulite. Overall, group classes, which are a requirement in these activities, have an additional benefit: when you’re surrounded by people performing movements in a specific sequence and rhythm, your body resonates with those around you. By the way, rhythm is one of the fundamental principles of physical activity. It’s also worth noting that working with a trainer or instructor, who can guide you on which muscle groups to engage and relax, and how to combine all this with breathing rhythms, has its positive effects. This is, in a way, a science for future childbirth—the moment when you’ll have to give birth under the guidance of competent specialists.
In summary, whatever you choose, remember that it’s better to focus on training one muscle group while gradually working on your entire body—you’ll see results faster. However, keep in mind that it’s optimal to give your body a little workout every morning with some stretching. This will energize you and eliminate the need to find time for a warm-up during the day.
One last piece of advice: when training your abdominal muscles (which often draw sighs and discontented glances from women looking at themselves in profile in the mirror), remember that the load should be intense but brief: performing exercises 20-25 times in one set is sufficient. Moreover, it’s best to focus on these muscles at the end of your main workout. You’ll achieve better results by exercising for 10-15 minutes daily than by doing 20-30 minutes every three days.
And finally, ask yourself: “Is anything stopping you from engaging in physical activity today for the sake of future motherhood?” So, don’t deny yourself! Move forward toward a healthy future!
