Exercise can make the difference between a healthy twin pregnancy or a draining one, and between an easy birth or a hard one.
If you are fit during your pregnancy, you will bounce back more quickly afterwards. Often, you can maintain any fitness activities
you did before pregnancy through most of the nine months, although you might have to make some adjustments, especially when
expecting twins.
On the other hand, if you are out of shape already when you find you are expecting twins, it is not the time to embark on
a heavy-duty program of physical activity! Do get out for a walk every day, but don't push yourself too hard on distance
or speed. Build up gradually. Even just a moderately paced mile a day can help your energy and outlook.
Make sure you don't focus solely on cardio exercises. You also need to do some stretching and relaxing exercise. A twin pregnancy
is stressful enough at the best of times, and anything you can do to help reduce that stress will make things a lot easier.
Yoga and deep breathing are great for relaxing, and are highly recommended for anyone having twins.
One exercise that is particularly useful during a twin pregnancy is the "cat stretch". It's a great exercise for relaxing
the whole body, as well as stretching the lower back muscles.
To do a cat stretch, Kneel down on the floor on your hands and knees. Then arch your back up, and then down. If you've ever
seen a cat stretching, then you'll know what to do.
Move slowly and take deep breaths. You should feel your back muscles loosen up, and relax.
As always, consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. The most important thing though is to just do it! Any
exercise you can do will make your twin pregnancy easier, and will benefit both you, and your twins.