Chapter 4 - Exercise & Stress Management

The healthier you are, the healthier your pregnancy and baby will be.

Men and women who are fit and healthy are more likely to have a healthy baby. Proper diet, exercise, stress management and positive attitude are in your hand. Small changes to your lifestyle can make a big impact on your health, fertility and pregnancy.  Mother’s health has a direct correlation with her baby’s health so better to start earliest possible. It’s important to be in good physical state during the days of early fetal development.

EXERCISE

Maintaining a healthy weight is one important aspect to increase your conception chances as it will help to improve your fertility. Don’t focus on weight loss. You need to make sure you are nourishing and not depriving. Regular exercise before pregnancy can help you to stay fit during pregnancy.

Do activities that you enjoy like ;

Walking

Swimming

Dancing

Hiking

Yoga

Or anything else which can make you happy and boost your energy level and physical stamina. Do exercise regularly for 30 minutes or at least 3 times in a week.

STRESS

Sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, feeling exhausting this all is the sign of stress. Our body is highly sensitive and responds to stressful situation. Stress can take its control on the body and affect reproductive system as well it can interfere in both man and woman. Stress can interfere in normal ovulation in woman and drop the sperm count and abnormalities in man. When we stressed cortisol (the stress hormone) level goes up and if this happens for long time than it can upset the balance of other hormones.

Try to identify the cause of stress in your life and try to minimize it.

Relaxation - it will help you to fight with your stress.

Thoughts - have positive thoughts to overcome from negative thoughts.

Meditation - it will help you to connect with your divinity.

Monitor your breath - Whenever you are relaxed your breathing will be calm and when you are anxious it speeds up and will become irregular. It’s well known fact that “every emotion is directly connected with the breathing”. If you change the breath, change the rhythm, you can change the emotion.

Sleep well – Insufficient sleep is the most common cause of Stress. Good sleep is necessary for good physical as well as mental wellness.

Stay healthy stay happy...