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Summer is the perfect time to take your fitness routines outdoors, including your aerobic activities. Also known as cardio, aerobic exercise is a form of cardiovascular conditioning meaning “with oxygen.” Aerobic exercise increases your breathing and heart rate, and helps to keep your heart, lungs and circulatory system healthy. Regular aerobic exercises can prevent conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and poor cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Pregnancy puts an extra strain on the heart, just as it does other parts of the body. Carrying a child requires the heart to work harder than normal as it supplies blood to the uterus. The following changes to the heart and blood vessels during pregnancy are common:

Increase in blood volume

The amount of blood in the body rises as much as 50 percent and remains high until baby is born.

Increase in heart rate

It is normal for the heart rate to increase about 25 percent faster than usual during pregnancy.