Staying fit and eating the right food can be challenging during pregnancy. The thought of being in good shape fades away when we face trimester fatigue, regular morning sickness, swelled up feet, and back pain. But do you know, staying fit during pregnancy offers ample of health benefits?  Light exercise and healthy diet:

• Provides strength to handle labor pains
• Help you lose weight faster after the childbirth
• Makes you active and strong throughout the pregnancy journey
• Keeps your baby healthy
• Reduce stress and manage anxiety

Staying in shape during pregnancy needs discipline and motivation. Here are five good ways you can stay fit and active.

Make a Plan

Make a plan to get started exercising in the first place. Take a notebook and pen down the exercises you will be doing, how long will be the workouts, and schedule the time accordingly. Here are some important precautions you must take:

• Drink plenty of water before and after the exercise
• Wear comfortable clothes including belly band and supportive sports bra
• Take enough rest and avoid doing aggressive and tough exercises

Eat a Healthy Diet

Having a nutritious diet will keep your baby and tummy happy. It will provide the essential nutrients to keep you mentally and physically fit during pregnancy. Preparing a healthy diet is  easy, all you have to do is consume food that contains protein, vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. If you’re not able to get these nutrients from food then a protein powder that’s pregnancy safe can help. Below is a list of nutritious and healthy food you should try to include in the diet.

• Different varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Meat, eggs, fish, and beans
• Milk and dairy food
• Bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta

Limit Sugar Intake

Though sugar is a highly desirable food during pregnancy, its overconsumption can show negative effects on you and your child’s wellbeing. According to doctors, pregnant women should not have more than 30g of sugar in their diet. Here are some tips that will help lower sugar intake.

• Avoid sugar-filled drinks during pregnancy, instead, go for sugar-free apple or pomegranate juice.
• Do not purchase a box of cookies or dessert, else no matter how hard the rules, you will end up consuming a lot of sugar because of late-night pregnancy cravings.
• Eat whole food, they have less sugar content and very healthy compared to processed sugar-loaded food.

Start Slow

Avoid heavy workouts if you are completely new to exercise. It will do more harm than good and end up draining your energy. It can also cause injury, sore muscles, and weakness, feelings you want to keep away during pregnancy. Remember the following points entering a new workout during pregnancy.

• Always do a small warm-up before going for exercises.
• Don’t take massive action, walk 30 minutes to get in the process of staying fit.
• Avoid high-strength exercises, especially during summer and humid weather.
• Stay hydrated and drinking plenty of water before and after the workout.
• If you join an exercise class, update your coach about the pregnancy week and follow the advice accordingly.
• Take 2-5 minutes break between each exercise.
• Don’t go hard on yourself.