Fitness During Pregnancy: Tips From Kareena Kapoor’s Fitness Coach

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As soon as you get pregnant, your mother, dadi, nani, and neighbor wali aunty – all of them flock to you to tell you how important it is now to eat for two! But the truth is that eating for two is not all necessary and is, in fact, a myth and not something you should do if you want to stay fit and have a healthy baby (1).

So, how do you stay fit when you have a sweet little bun in the oven?

Celebrity fitness expert and the woman behind Kareena Kapoor’s fabulous post-Taimur (her and Saif Ali Khan’s cute as a button son) body, Yasmin Karachiwala, has the answer!

According to Karachiwala, staying fit when you’re pregnant might seem like a task but it really is not that difficult. In fact, she insists that you practice a fitness regime when preggers as it is vital for the optimum nourishment of you and your to-be-born baby!

Here’s the pregnancy fitness plan that she recommends:

In This Article

1. Increase Your Calorie Intake In The Second Trimester

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As said before, you really do not have to eat for two when you get pregnant. However, Karachiwala recommends you up your calorie intake by 200 calories per day when your second trimester begins. And this should go all the way up to another 500 calories each day in your third trimester. However, the exact amount of calories you need to consume will vary from mother to mother, depending on factors such as your body weight and health status.

2. Eat The Right Foods

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Loads of people will tell you to eat this and not that when you’re pregnant. However, according to Karachiwala, you shouldn’t avoid anything per se. What you should do is have a balanced diet, which is full of fresh fruits and veggies, protein-rich foods, good fats, and whole grains. These foods will help you stay healthy as long as you avoid binge eating or gorging on junk foods, as whatever you eat goes to your baby too!

3. Workout

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Many mothers-to-be fear that exercising during pregnancy can cause more harm than good, but that is not the case. Karachiwala says that as long as you’re healthy, following your normal exercise regime is perfectly healthy and even recommended. However, before you start exercising, consult with your doctor just to be safe.

In the first trimester: Try to take it easy, especially if you’ve never worked out before. Start with going for a half-hour-long walk and if you feel fine, Karachiwala says you can add Pilates to your routine.

She warns against doing exercises that flex your spine when pregnant, such as crunches as they can be harmful. This is why she recommends Pilates as its exercises can be modified as per your comfort.

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As for other exercises you can do, swimming is a great option and you can do it fear-free. If you’re into lifting weights, Karachiwala recommends that you lift only up to max 60% of the weight you did before you conceived. She advises against high-intensity workouts and says that pregnancy is not the time to get fit, but to stay fit.

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In the second trimester: Your body will get used to being pregnant and nausea will reduce, which means it’s a great time to add exercise to your routine if you haven’t yet. However, since your belly will grow, Karachiwala warns against exercises that require you to lie on your back. Such exercises can apply pressure on your uterus and lead to the disruption of blood flow to your baby. Weight training is allowed at this stage, although the weights should be reduced. Squatting is a great exercise for this time as well.

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In the third trimester: You should do what your body tells you to! However, try not to stop exercising completely either, as it can help bring about a smooth natural delivery. Post-childbirth, you can start exercising after 6 weeks according to Karachiwala.

A lot of people will stop you from maintaining a fitness regime, falsely thinking that it will harm your baby. But remember, being pregnant does not mean completely sacrificing yourself and thinking solely the baby. It’s about striking the right balance and focusing on yourself too without guilt!

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