Board Certified OB/GYN Angela Jones, M.D., Shares Health Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful and tender journey for most women, but it can also be one filled with anxiety by conflicting advice from relatives, friends, and health care professionals. With a commitment to the health of yourself and your baby, it can feel like a constant tug-of-war battle in trying to differentiate helpful from potentially harmful opinions.

Angela Jones, M.D., a board certified physician at Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group Healthy Woman OB/GYN, shares insights on a topic of concern that she addresses quite often with her patients: the health and safety of exercising during pregnancy. Despite some arguments and myths against the lifestyle, Dr. Jones believes that physical activity is not only safe, but it is bursting with benefits.

With more than 13 years of OB/GYN experience, Dr. Jones encourages exercise for the following reasons:

Boosts energy: "As exhausting as pregnancy can be, who couldn"t use a little pick me-up-on a daily basis?" she comments. "In case you aren"t one who gets that natural pregnant glow, the endorphins and feel-good hormones released during the course of a good workout will not only have you looking better, but also feeling better."

Keeps weight gain at bay: Exercise will help limit the amount of weight a woman gains during the course of a pregnancy. Additionally, the more excess weight a woman gains, the higher the risk becomes for adversely impacting labor, developing hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes, and undergoing a C-section.

Eases labors: Although expectant moms are oftentimes nervous of the labor experience, exercise can give women confidence to deliver. Dr. Jones shares, "If you are physically fit, you will more than likely experience less pain during labor and perhaps even experience a shorter labor. Labor means work. A fit body is more capable of doing just that."

Decreases the risk of postpartum depression: "Postpartum depression is a very real phenomenon," she says. "Becoming a new mom can be stressful and overwhelming to say the least. Exercise helps decrease the risks of developing this, while at the same time helping to ensure better quality sleep: something that every new mom needs."

Jumpstarts a healthy lifestyle: Women are more likely to continue the routine of exercising post-delivery if they get into the habit while pregnant. Physical activity helps women more quickly return to pre-pregnancy weight and also decreases the risk of chronic medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

When exercising during these nine months, Dr. Jones advises women to drink plenty of fluids and avoid workouts with an increased risk of falling. "As always, if you have any questions or aren"t quite sure what is safe, check with your OB/GYN," she adds.

Healthy Woman OB/GYN has a main office in Freehold with secondary locations in Colts Neck and Jackson. To learn more about the addresses, hours, and services, please call 732-431-1616 or visit HealthyWomanUSA.com.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children"s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; 11 community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 160 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey, including Hackensack University Medical Center which is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Health Care" in the nation, and the number one "Best Place to Work for Women." Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.