Keeping it fit and healthy with a baby on the way is something a lot of expecting moms struggle with and have lots of questions about.

What are the best workouts? How much to exercise and what to do? Can staying in shape harm the baby? Should I rest all day?

While the questions are multiplying, one fact stands for all:

A woman’s good health is essential to the good health of her baby.

Actually, taking care of yourself has never been more important and staying fit during your pregnancy is the best thing you can do for your baby.

Since my sister in law Emma, or as I like to refer to her, the sister I never had, is now at the end of her last trimester, I decided to share her healthy pregnancy story with you.Fit And Healthy Pregnancy Tips – 15 Little Habits To Help You Stay Healthy And Fit During Pregnancy

Our baby girl Lena is about to pop out in less than a month.

And while we patiently wait and wait, we make sure she has the best stay.

How?

By building some new healthy pregnancy tips that are going to take care of the health and shape of her mommy.

Emma has been doing these few little things during her pregnancy, that helped her stay in shape, while providing the best home for Lena.

Because of the effectiveness of these little healthy pregnancy tips, I decided to share them with all of you expecting mommies out there.

My goal is to encourage you to make the most out of your health while you’re carrying.

You probably get loads of advice on a daily basis from everyone around you, but you have to know that staying healthy during pregnancy depends only on you, so it’s crucial to arm yourself with information about the many ways to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.

Your baby will be so grateful, because a healthy and fit mommy equals a healthy baby.

So let’s kick out all these bad habits we have, and try replacing them with these little fresh new ones that will guide you to a fit pregnancy.

Let’s start right away!

1. Always Start Your Day With Frozen Berries Water

Fit And Healthy Pregnancy Tips - 15 Little Habits To Help You Stay Healthy And Fit During PregnancyPure water is not the only way to stay hydrated.

Actually, the best way to start your day is with frozen fruit water.

Flavoring your water naturally, and having it first thing in the morning is actually really beneficial when it comes to staying hydrated and keeping it healthy.

Just note that, since you probably have gastric problems, you should avoid lemon water and instead try adding berries, such as: chokeberries, strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.

They’re filled with fibers that will ease digestion and help you burn more calories.

2. Use The Healthy Pregnancy Eating Formula

You can’t even imagine how important it is to eat healthy during pregnancy.

When choosing your diet, quality is more important than quantity, so daily calories should consist of one simple formula:

CLEAN PROTEINS + FIBERS + HEALTHY FATS + DAIRY

This means that you should cut down on sugars and bad carbs and include loads of healthy clean food.

Starting with fish, meat, eggs and beans for protein, to nuts and seeds for healthy fats and lots of milk and yogurts for dairy, to lentils, beans and whole wheat products especially clean rye products for fibers.

Follow this formula, and you’ll stay healthy and fit during your pregnancy, providing the best nutrients to your baby at the same time.

3. Squeeze In An Iron Smoothie Between Your Meals

Many carrying women have problems with iron deficits.

During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases and you need more iron to make more hemoglobin for all that additional blood.

You also need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta.

Because of that, you have to include iron on your everyday menu, so I suggest squeezing in an iron based smoothie between your meals.

This means that other than the main fruit ingredients, you should load your smoothie with:

  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Nettle seeds
  • Cocoa seeds
  • Swiss chard
  • Parsley
  • Beet greens
  • Bok choy
  • Asparagus
  • Leeks
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Almonds
  • Cashews

Having your iron in a liquid form gets it to your blood faster.

Also, having your smoothie between meals will help you stay hydrated, healthy and fit, by keeping you full till the next meal.

4. Strength Train With Resistance BandsFit And Healthy Pregnancy Tips - 15 Little Habits To Help You Stay Healthy And Fit During Pregnancy

In the not so distant past, women were told to avoid exercising during pregnancy.

Fortunately, that was proven wrong, and it’s now certain that pregnant women should be really active.

And the best way to keep yourself toned and fit is to strength train.

You can do strength training in the comfort of your home, by investing in a set of resistance bands – they cost less than 30$.

You can do arm exercises, shoulder exercises, back, chest and leg exercises, just make sure to split them into different days, and into a few sets.

And remember, there’s absolutely no reason why you should stop lifting weights when you are pregnant, since strength training, just as any other physical activity, cannot harm your body or the baby you’re carrying.

I personally proved that in my “Lifting for Two” research, so feel free to check it out.

5. Quit Sugars And Bad Carbs

If you haven’t done this yet, make sure to do it as soon as possible, because this is the best healthy pregnancy tips you can ever get!

Sugar is a bad choice in every way, especially when you’re carrying, so try kicking it out of the picture.

And this is not a thing that you should reconsider, but a habit you should have without even questioning, for the sake of both of you.

Sugar is considered as the modern drug of our generation, that’s the main reason why obesity happens in the first place.

And not to mention heart disease and diabetes, followed by the sad statistic that over 80% of the food items in America contain added sugar…

And the food you eat shouldn’t just be empty calories – it should provide the nutrients your growing baby needs, so make sure you choose the meals you serve to it wisely.

6. Add Yoga On Your Everyday Menu

Yoga is the best choice while pregnant.

It provides many benefits – starting from:

  • Staying in shape
  • Developing stamina and strength to carry the weight
  • Strengthening your hips, back, arms and shoulders
  • Physical and emotional balance
  • Increases circulation
  • Better flexibility

Yoga is one of the best preparations for labor, since you are working with conscious breathing during each yoga pose, which may sometimes be challenging.

You should consider taking prenatal yoga classes too, practicing yoga with other women since you’re all going through the same thing, so it’s nice to share experiences and some helpful advice.” – Emma

Here’re a few poses that you have to try:

Fit And Healthy Pregnancy Tips – 15 Little Habits To Help You Stay Healthy And Fit During Pregnancy PRENATAL YOGA FOR WOMEN

7. Cycling Is The Best Cardio

You might not know this, but cycling is one of the best activities when it comes to sweating for two.

Fast walking, running and even elliptical training, add a lot of pressure on your back, that’s already pressured enough.

Unlike those, cycling adds no pressure at all, since you’re in a seated position.

Biking with a bump can get a little uncomfortable if you’re in your last trimester, but other than that, it can be only beneficial.

Don’t push yourself too hard, just listen to your body and start with a light route.

I cycle almost every day, it even helped me overcome my morning sickness.
Just make sure to take everything at your own pace and listen to your body” – Emma

8. Drink Coconut Water On a Daily Basis

Coconut water, or the fluid that comes from the coconut, is a powerful liquid for maintaining a healthy body.

Coconut water is filled with nutrients such as phosphorus, sodium, potassium and calcium, that will help to carry an electrical charge in your body and hence they are also known as electrolytes.

It is very important to have the right amount of electrolytes in your body, especially when you are pregnant since they will help you keep the levels of blood pressure in control, and maintain the right amount of fluid levels in your body.

Coconut water is a great way to hydrate and maintain a healthy weight, since it doesn’t contain fat or cholesterol.

Try mixing it up in a smoothie or drink it clean if you like it better.

9. Take Walks In Fresh Air Every Morning

Walking in fresh air is always a good idea, especially early in the morning.

Bathing your sleepy organs with oxygen, while breaking a little sweat is the perfect start to the day.

You don’t need to do fast walking, just focus on the breathing, and keep it up for at least 20 minutes.

Repeating this every morning will increase your circulation and provide healthy sweating for the rest of the day.

10. Drink Plenty Of Water

I know that you probably already visit the toilet Fit And Healthy Pregnancy Tips - 15 Little Habits To Help You Stay Healthy And Fit During Pregnancytoo often, but the recommended daily water intake is higher during pregnancy.

Just have in mind that now, you’re drinking for two :)

And not only that, proper hydration helps you stay healthy and fit, but it has many other benefits too:

  • Water helps your body absorb essential nutrients into the cells and transports vitamins, minerals and hormones to the blood cells;
  • Helps with fatigue and headaches;
  • Makes sure you feel energized and fresh.

You can make sure to drink enough water with the help of The Motivational Bottles.

11. Don’t Forget The ABS

Just because you’re pregnant, doesn’t mean that the AB muscles should be left out of the picture.

You just have to do the right exercises.

Your abdominals and your entire core, including your pelvic floor, should be strengthened throughout pregnancy, and doing so will help not only during pregnancy, but also aid in labor and delivery — and recovery,”  – Sue Fleming, a certified fitness instructor

The only thing that you should avoid are exercises while lying flat on your back, other than that – you’re all set!

Doing AB exercises can help support your pelvic organs and increase your sense of control during labor.

Strong abs will alleviate pressure your baby belly puts on your back and support proper posture, and your strong core will only help you recover more quickly after giving birth.

12. Always Eat A Salad For Dinner

Fit And Healthy Pregnancy Tips - 15 Little Habits To Help You Stay Healthy And Fit During Pregnancy --- pregnancy dietGreens are really important when it comes to staying in shape during pregnancy.

You need your vitamins, and the best way to get them is through a bowl of green salad.

So make sure to add a big bowl of salad to your dinner menu, it will keep you full for the rest of the day, making sure you don’t have digestion problems during the night.

13. Swim At Least Once A Week

You have to try swimming while you’re pregnant.

Not only that it will help you maintain your form and help you stay in shape, but the water will support your increased weight too, making your body feel lighter.

Swimming is the best activity you can do, because it burns lots of calories while it feels so natural to the body, it’s gentle on the joints and relieves your ankles.

14. Have Smaller, More Frequent Portions

This is a healthy habit that works great even if you’re not pregnant, and especially when you are.

Why?

Having small amounts of food every few hours can minimize nausea, and as your baby takes up more and more space, eating smaller meals more often can minimize the discomfort of having a full stomach.

You should have 5-6 meals a day, including snacks and different kinds of smoothies and shakes, and this meal arrangement will speed up your metabolism too.

Remember that you’re eating for two, so don’t worry about eating too much, just try to keep it as healthy as you can.

15. Don’t Overeat Fruits

We’re all taught that fruits are healthy, and people can’t understand that fruit is actually just another form of sugar.

It’s all natural, and it contains vitamins, but fruit contains lots of fructose, and that’s the part that makes you addicted to sugar in the first place.

So eat fruits, but choose them wisely and with a lot of control.

Focus on eating berries, green apples and lime instead of fruits loaded with fructose such as bananas, mangos, figs and grapes.

You can still get all of the nutrients out of the vegetables, without loading yourself with unnecessary energy that you can’t burn.

Fit And Healthy Pregnancy Tips - 15 Little Habits To Help You Stay Healthy And Fit During Pregnancy

EXPECTING MOMMIES, ON YOUR WAY!

It’s time for you to rock! :)

Don’t wait a second longer and try at least few of these healthy pregnancy tips.

I promise, you’re going to feel better, be healthier and look fitter, and most important of all, you’ll make the best out of your pregnancy.

It’s the most powerful creation to have a life growing inside of you, so make sure to choose the best for both of you. 

And remember, a good plan implemented today, is better than a perfect one implemented tomorrow.

So, on your way mommies, the choice is yours! :)

Don’t forget to share the best healthy pregnancy tips with a mommy to be, and help her make the most out of her health during her pregnancy.

Love to all of you! <3