With the holidays behind us, we are gearing up for what will be a fantastic New Year for 2014.  Over our holiday break I have spoken with many families who are expecting something pink or blue in 2014.  I am always really excited to speak with you and to share my passion for health & fitness, not only during your pregnancy, but afterwards as well!  This week, I thought I would share some of the well documented benefits that regular exercise has for both mom and baby:

Benefits For the Mom to be:

• Regular exercise can improve circulation, reduce back pain and increase energy
• Women who practice yoga during pregnancy report a reduction in stress and enjoy the bonding experience with baby
• Group  classes allow for open discussions on topics relating to pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum experiences
• Women who attend our classes report a feeling of increased confidence in their body as they prepare for childbirth

Benefits For the baby:

• Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to baby 
• Higher APGARS (Activity / Pulse / Grimace / Appearance /Respiration) which means they are generally more alert, and active at birth
• Tend to have more lean muscle mass, which means, generally speaking, these babies will be stronger
• Easier time establishing breastfeeding
• Babies born to active women have stronger heart rates at birth & 3 months post partum.  (2010 Linda E May)