Introduction

Coping With Pregnancy Problems

Exercise While Pregnant?

How To Get Pregnant

Making Your Pregnancy Safer

Pregnancy and Alcohol

Sex After Pregnancy: Can I Get Pregnant If I'm Breastfeeding?

The 10 Most Important Pregnancy Exercise Tips You Will Ever Read

Weight Gain During Pregnancy: How Much Weight Should You Really Gain?

Weight Loss After a Pregnancy

Why Do I Have Hot Flashes During Pregnancy?

Contributed by Joyce Graham

From pretty much the onset of my pregnancy, I worried about the toll that having twins would take out on my 39 year old body. I started to do extensive research on what programs I could follow during pregnancy that would make it easier for me to get back in shape after delivering. The funny thing was that I hadn't followed any kind of exercise program since I was in college, and here I was 39, pregnant with twins, and looking to start one.

I had heard from my doctor and some nurses that performing low impact exercises while pregnant would not be harmful to my babies. But what I found during my research really surprised me. Not only did research show that exercising while pregnant would benefit me and not do any harm to my babies, it showed that it would be extremely beneficial to my babies.

Studies have shown that woman who follow even a simple exercise program during pregnancy tend to be less stressed, more comfortable, sleep better, and go full-term more often than women who don't. But here's the one that really got me. Studies have shown that exercising while pregnant may actually increase your baby's brain development. A study conducted by noted pregnancy researcher James Clapp, M.D. of Case Western University showed that at 5 years of age, children born to women who exercised, performed significantly higher on tests of general intelligence and oral language skills than those born to women who did not. Dr. Clapp theorizes that the stimulus of exercising boosts the baby's neurological development.

Well, at this point, I was convinced. I was determined to find and follow a low-level, low-impact program of exercise. This turned out to be the easy part. I found an all inclusive program of exercise and nutrition, designed by a pregnancy fitness expert. The exercises were easy to follow and became something that I actually looked forward to doing. And the nutritional program helped me gain the weight I needed to ensure healthy babies without gaining excess weight that would make my pregnancy more difficult.

Well, the results were unbelievable. I had a very comfortable pregnancy with no complications whatsoever. I carried the boys to within 2 weeks of full term. I was able to deliver them naturally, avoiding the recuperation time a C-section causes. And myself and two very healthy baby boys were back home just 36 hours after delivery. And while it's too early to have the boys' intelligence tested, they sure seem smart to me.

My recommendation: If you are pregnant and healthy and your doctor okays an exercise program, then by all means do it. Even a very simple, very light program will provide unbelievable benefits to both you and your baby.

About the Author
At the age of 39, I just recently delivered healthy twin boys. By week 37 I was unbelievably huge. Yet I had a very comfortable and relaxed pregnancy. And nobody, I mean nobody, could believe how fast I was back to my pre-pregnancy shape. In fact, I've had so many people tell me they didn't believe it that I finally set up a website (Pregnant-Healthy.com) where I've posted my story along with pictures showing exactly how big I got and just how fast I was back in shape.