Exercise Counselling
Exercise Counseling at Complete Women Care
Exercise counseling involves collaborating with a health professional—such as a fitness trainer, physical therapist, or exercise physiologist—to design a customized fitness plan. The goal is to support or enhance overall health and wellness through structured physical activity.
Why Exercise Counseling is Key Before & After Pregnancy
Before Pregnancy:
- Preparing the Body: Regular exercise primes the body for the physical demands of pregnancy and childbirth. Tailored guidance improves cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and endurance.
- Healthy Weight Maintenance: Staying at a healthy weight reduces risks like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and C-section delivery. Personalized exercise plans, along with dietary advice, support weight goals.
- Boosting Fertility: An active, balanced lifestyle promotes hormonal balance, reproductive function, and stress reduction—supporting fertility and conception chances.
- Managing Chronic Conditions: Exercise helps women with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or PCOS to improve health and reduce pregnancy complications.
After Pregnancy:
- Postpartum Recovery: Counseling supports regaining strength, flexibility, and muscle tone after childbirth. It addresses concerns like diastasis recti, pelvic floor weakness, and posture changes.
- Weight and Body Composition: Many women aim to return to pre-pregnancy shape. Safe, effective exercises target weight loss, core muscles, and pelvic floor to improve body composition.
- Mental Health: Physical activity supports mood improvement, reduces postpartum depression and anxiety, increases energy, and enhances well-being. Incorporating exercise is part of self-care.
- Breastfeeding Considerations: Counseling ensures appropriate exercise that doesn’t compromise milk supply, emphasizes hydration, and supports muscles used during breastfeeding.
- Rebuilding Fitness: Recovery progresses from gentle to more intense workouts. Personalized plans ensure safe progression and realistic fitness goals.
Together, exercise counseling before and after pregnancy promotes maternal health, postpartum recovery, weight management, fitness, mental well-being, and reduced pregnancy risks. It empowers women to build healthy habits and reach optimal outcomes for themselves and their babies.
Does This Benefit the Newborn Baby?
Exercise counseling mainly supports the mother's health, but it indirectly benefits the baby:
- Maternal Health Benefits: A healthier mother—experience better cardiovascular fitness, and managing gestational diabetes or hypertension—can care more effectively for her baby.
- Breastfeeding Support: Guidance on nutrition and hydration enhances milk supply and quality. Strengthening exercises can ease breastfeeding and support baby’s growth.
- Mental Health: Exercise reduces stress, depression, and anxiety in mothers, creating a nurturing environment. Lower maternal stress contributes positively to infant behavior and development.
- Energy and Engagement: Improved energy and stamina enable mothers to be more responsive and involved in early baby care, promoting bonding and healthy development
Although benefits to the newborn are indirect, improved maternal health, breastfeeding success, mood, and energy foster a nurturing environment that supports the baby's growth and development.
Dr. Puuja Arora Bhatnagar at Complete Women Care is dedicated to providing personalized exercise counseling that supports both maternal well-being and baby’s development.