Hiking while pregnant

8 Tips for Managing Nature Walks While Pregnant.

Stay active, but aware!

Abandon fear and guilt. If you want to stay active, if you enjoy nature, if you love being outdoors, walking, and you can continue doing it, why deprive yourself of a healthy activity with so many benefits?

Benefits of walking in nature during pregnancy:

• Helps maintain tone in leg and glute muscles
• Oxygenates tissues
• Helps keep bones healthy
• Improves cardiovascular function
• Breathing clean air
• Boosts mood

8 tips on how to manage nature walks during pregnancy, collected from mothers and expecting mothers who, like me, walked until childbirth:

1. Talk to your primary care physician and your obstetrician to make sure there are no medical conditions that would make movement, even light, inadvisable, with all necessary precautions.

2. Evaluate the hike carefully; it's certainly not the time to choose a dangerous, steep, or uneven trail, taking into account the month of pregnancy. Obviously, the first months are the most delicate, the second trimester has plenty of energy, and the third trimester brings more weight to carry, making it more difficult to maintain balance. Therefore, avoid long trails with too much uneven terrain. In short, don't venture blindly.

3. Stay light and carry trekking poles. It's always a good idea, during a walk, to carry only the essentials, avoiding overloading. This rule is absolutely essential for pregnant women to follow, as they need to protect their back, which from the third trimester onwards, begins to bear a heavier load. Trekking poles provide a comfortable and practical aid: lightweight, foldable, and easily adjustable, they evenly distribute the load, relieving stress on the knees and ankles and helping maintain balance on slightly more difficult terrain.

4. Snacks and hydration. Dried fruit is excellent, and water should never be lacking (1L per person, always pay attention to the weight you carry).

5. Altitude. In addition to the type of terrain, it is important to know at what altitude the hike will take place. The higher the altitude, the less oxygen there is for both the mother and the baby. However, this assessment also varies depending on the place where one generally lives (body conditioning given by the environment). The greatest attention should be paid to not exposing oneself to "altitude swings"; for example, it is not advisable to start at an altitude of 0 m and take the cable car to reach 1500 m. In any case, it is advisable not to exceed 1500/2000 m in height during pregnancy, to avoid causing suffering to the fetus.

6. Listen to your body. From my personal experience, I can say that I was more active in my first pregnancy, especially in the second trimester. I felt more agile, gained less weight than in the second pregnancy, and above all, I didn't suffer from back pain as I am experiencing now. I want to share this with you just to say that there is no one-size-fits-all rule for all women and all pregnancies! It is essential to be aware that not all days are the same, and depending on the energy expended, there is a need to take time to recover.

7. Set realistic goals and take "slow steps." In support of what has been said so far, it is advisable to set achievable goals; remember that it is not necessary to overdo it. The goal always remains personal well-being and that of one's baby. And then you have to deal with nausea, for those who suffer from it (as happened to me). So, "slow steps"; this is a possibility we have to feed our psychophysical well-being; it is not a challenge against ourselves, there is nothing to prove, but just walking and breathing in nature!

8. Be in company. I always suggest experiencing every nature walk in the company of others, and specifically for a walk with pregnant mothers, it is preferable! Every expectant mother may need support from a partner or friends accompanying her along the way; it could be moral or emotional support, but also material support, such as distributing the weight of her backpack with others. Let's not forget that the benefits of a healthy walk exploring the scenic beauty that surrounds us is an experience that enriches each of us.

My choice has been to continue breathing, walking, enjoying the beauty that surrounds us, and encouraging those like me, even during pregnancy, who continue to love all this and do not want to abandon what gives them life, psychophysical balance, and energy, always in respect of their own strengths.