Experts agree that pregnant women should get a minimum of thirty minutes of exercise every day. The benefits to exercising while you are pregnant include:

Decreased weight gain during pregnancy

Decreased labor time

Fewer complications during pregnancy

Fewer complaints physically

Faster recovery after the baby is born

Faster weigh loss after the baby is born

These benefits have more and more expectant moms ready to get fit. The only problem is that many of these women, especially the new moms-to-be, are just not sure where to begin, and which exercises are the safest for the baby. Here are some of the exercises that many pregnant women find truly beneficial:

Pilates
An extremely popular form of exercise, Pilates can be done before, during and after pregnancy to keep your body in ideal shape. The great thing about Pilates is that it can be modified to suit anyone, pregnant or not. Core muscles are greatly used during pregnancy, and Pilates targets this muscle group. Be sure to seek the advice of a qualified instructor who has worked with pregnant women.

Walking
Walking is an exercise that can be modified to fit anyone on any fitness level, including expectant moms. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes for an aerobic exercise that is great for your muscles. You control the intensity of your workout. Best of all you can keep walking after the baby is born. Just load up the stroller and go.

Swimming
Pregnant women love to swim. It helps keep you cool and relieves several of the aches and pains that go along with being pregnant. The water comforts you and relieves strain and stress on your muscles that are all pulled and stretched during pregnancy. It is also a great way to lighten the load of pregnancy weight.

Yoga
Yoga is the perfect combination of exercise and relaxation. Several pregnant women have been known to use yoga poses during childbirth classes and then continue even after the baby is born. You can sign up for classes specifically for pregnant women that are led by a qualified instructor, or try it at home with one of the many DVDs that are available.

Weight Training
When done in moderation, weight training is a great form of exercise for pregnant women. Remember to only use light weights and do routines that are safe for expectant mothers. You will achieve a higher level of energy and reduce leg cramps during pregnancy.

Aqua Aerobics
Aqua aerobics is a great way to strengthen bones and build muscle while you are pregnant, without putting a lot of pressure on your knees, hips and all of your other joints. Resistance training relieves the pressure of pregnancy weight and relieves stress throughout the body.

Bike Riding
Cross-country trips are not advised, but relaxing laps around a flat track or quiet street is a fun way to stay healthy while you are pregnant. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or an otherwise high-risk pregnancy, you may want to stick to some of the less active exercises for pregnant women.

Tennis
Many women enjoy playing tennis during the first and second trimesters. Be sure to stay hydrated and avoid playing when the sun is at its worst.

Jogging
If you are a jogger before your pregnancy, keep going. Keep the speed and tempo on a level that is safe for pregnant women and enjoy a nice run.

Dancing
Prenatal dance classes are designed to be safe and effective for expectant mothers. Have fun while you get a great cardiovascular workout.

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Both times, I was hit badly and constantly turned to the bottle for a solution. The bottle never will be a solution and yet, I hoped it would be.

Yoga and the soon-to-be-mother
There’s all this hype about Yoga that I didn’t fully understand before – what’s all this clamor about Yoga for pregnancy?? What’s the big deal? You have a big belly, retch half the time, have a sudden liking for pickle and have to wear your husband’s clothing….you need Yoga to help you deal with all that?

But of course, I only began the understand the benefits of Yoga as a mother when I started going for the classes, read about them in books, magazines and websites. This amazing method can help mothers regain their physical strength and sends them into a journey of self-discovery and improvement. Instead of helping you deal with others, in Yoga, everything starts from within. Therefore, to solve a problem, you have to go inside.

And inside a mother, it’s always a battle zone…and it’s tumultuous half the time. Pizza or no pizza? Sex or no sex tonight? What kind of mother will I be? Will I sprain my own child’s fingers when I try to put his/her clothes on? With the kind of bizarre thinking (and hormones) going on inside our mind and our body, mothers often have a  difficulty finding peace. Your doctor will tell you time and time again that although nutrition is important, finding peace, quiet and calm in yourself and in your life is just important for an expectant mother.

Yoga for the regular mother
Considering the fact that Yoga can help bring calm into calamity, it’s obviously a good choice for you to try out Yoga if you’re thinking of starting an exercise program. Better yet, join a gym…which is what I did. I used to scoff at people who join gyms and judging from the loud dance music, I remember thinking to myself… “Yikes…gym is just a sorry excuse for a disco. Instead of serving peanuts, they serve fruit mixes. Instead of alcohol, they serve bottled water. But everyone’s trying to get into a social thing in the gym. It’s a social club!”

And as a mother, I don’t have the time to join a social club.

But I was wrong. As soon as I gave the 10-day free classes trial, I was hooked. No makeup, no dressup (oh, the younger gym-goers still dress up to the nines and apply mascara for gym) and no pretense. I go to the gym and attend the Yoga class to sweat – to end up looking ugly but feeling damn good!

Mothers can open up their minds and free up their hearts after Yoga
Yoga has this tranquilizing effect on people that can hardly be explained with words. It has to be felt. It’s like you’re striking those poses, stretching those muscles and bending over backwards…and all this while, your mind is opening up and all impure thoughts are just flying out of it.

Yoga can be like ‘taking out the trash’.

And this can be good for the whole family, especially the kids, as well. After a session of uninterrupted Yoga, you’ll feel renewed. Even a grumpy, sleeping, tired and beaten-out mother will have more energy to spend time with the kids. Instead of feeling disgruntled and trapped, a mother can use Yoga to actually find an opening, a release that helps relax, not only the body, but the mind as well.

I don’t know about you…but I am going for more classes because I have seen the benefits. Yoga can do a whole lot for the ordinary non-married kidless people….imagine what it can do for a mother.