Congratulations, you’re pregnant! While it’s the most exciting 9 months of your life, growing a baby puts a lot of strain on your body and immune system. There are several ways you can safely boost your immune system naturally.
Exercise for Baby (and You!)
Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t still exercise safely. Healthy pregnant women need at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week! Exercise is a natural immune booster, pregnant or not. It does this by increasing blood flow, reducing stress and inflammation as well as strengthening antibodies throughout your body.
Super slow strength training is a great way to help boost your immune system. It not only helps to strengthen muscles and bones, but it also improves your body’s immune response all with the added benefit of helping you to prepare for labor. It’s low impact which means it won’t put additional stress on your joints. Talking with your personal trainer once you find out you’re pregnant will allow them to make personalized modifications to your work out and they will have encouraging tips along the way.
It’s important to remember that if you are healthy and you exercised before you got pregnant, it’s typically safe to continue during pregnancy. Talk it over with your healthcare provider and follow their advice.
Nutrition During Pregnancy
One of the easiest ways to boost your immune system and support your pregnancy is by making sure you are fulling your body with the right kinds of foods. Adding lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet is a sure way to get extra vitamins and antioxidants. Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and red peppers are all good sources of vitamin A and potassium. While melons, bananas and citrus fruits all provide healthy doses of vitamin C and potassium.
Another important vitamin is Folate (also known as B9 or folic acid). It’s been shown to improve immunity and is essential for the healthy development of the fetus in early pregnancy. Many fruits and veggies also contain folic acid making it easy to increase your folate intake. Legumes like peas, beans and lentils are a good source of folate. Another is Leafy greens and asparagus, which can provide you with 15-36% of your daily suggested amount.
Other Things to Consider
While being generally healthy is important for pregnancy and fighting off common seasonal illnesses, it is essential to make sure you get plenty of rest. Sleep plays an important role in immunity by allowing your body to release disease fighting proteins called cytokines. Pregnancy is hard work, and many times it leads to sleepless nights for a multitude of reasons, making even more important to try and get a good night’s rest.
Stay hydrated. Try to drink between 8-12 glasses of water each day. Not only will it help with reducing swelling, decreasing constipation, and increasing your energy it will also help you ward off seasonal colds and the flu. Drinking enough water helps to ensure that your body can naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria.
Loyalty Fitness is here to help support your fitness goals through every stage of life. Our trainers are experts at making sure you can continue your work outs throughout your pregnancy. Talk to us today and see how super slow strength training is the perfect fit is for moms-to-be.