Best Start - your health before pregnancy - Being Active

Being active before pregnancy can make it easier to stay active during pregnancy. Even a little regular activity can strengthen your heart, body and bones and help keep you at a healthy weight. Being active is a good habit to get into. It is like brushing your teeth; you do it every day to keep healthy. Moving your body can bring down your stress level and make you feel good about yourself. If you get active now and stay active, you will be a good role model for your children. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines from 2011 recommend that adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week in bouts of 10 minutes or more.

Turning your plans into action!

Use the following chart to plan some future activities. Think about what activities you might enjoy and think who you might ask to join you. What may stop you from being active? How you can make sure you meet your activity goals?

Remember, staying active is part of everyday life that carries with you for years and years to come.

FUN, EASY ACTIVITIES THAT FIT INTO MY EVERY DAY LIFE….
e.g. walk around building at break

PEOPLE I CAN ENJOY THEM WITH….
co-workers

SOME BARRIERS THAT MIGHT MAKE IT HARD TO ENJOY MY FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES….
our schedules

HOW CAN I TAKE CHARGE AND STAY MOTIVATED.
set a break time in advance

Note: Activity that is too vigorous can make it hard to get pregnant, especially for women with low body fat. This rare problem is usually short lived and less activity can help.

For help close to home, contact:

Parks and Recreation Department: YMCA and private Fitness Centres: Local walking paths or trails and trail associations in your community: Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP): www.csep.ca Active Ontario: www.active2010.ca

Here is how you can get started on being more active…

Stand instead of sit.

Walk whenever you can – get off the bus early, park the car further away, use the stairs instead of the elevator.

Dance to music – it can liven up housework.

Reduce your screen time and take regular activity breaks if you have to sit for long periods of time.

Choose to walk, cycle or to use another form of active transportation for short trips.

Start with a 10-minute walk and gradually increase the time.

Do the activities you are doing now, more often.

Choose activities that fit with your lifestyle and that you enjoy. Make plans with your partner to do some activities together. Decide what is right for you. The more activities you do with partner, family or friends, the more fun you may have. Some options could be:

Join a sports team.

Go hiking, cycling or swimming.

Go dancing or take a dance class together.

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