Staying active during pregnancy is great, it can help you feel better, improve your posture, and even give you more energy for delivery. There are many benefits of regular exercising, it might also lower your chances of gestational diabetes and reduce backaches. If you exercised before pregnancy, you can likely keep going with some adjustments. Many new moms find it difficult to start exercising after birth as their bodies are really worn out, but if you are in the habit of it, you will find it easier to slip back into your routine, with appropriate changes. However, some exercises are off-limits now. Talk to your doctor to create a safe and effective routine.

Benefits of exercising during pregnancy

Exercise can help you feel better throughout your pregnancy by boosting your energy, improving your mood, and even helping you sleep better. It can also ease common discomforts like back pain and make labour and delivery easier. On top of that, exercise can help prevent certain pregnancy complications and make it easier to get back in shape after delivery. Of course, your body is changing a lot during pregnancy. To stay safe, you might need to adjust your workouts or avoid certain activities. Your doctor can help you create a safe and effective exercise plan for your pregnancy.

Risks of exercising during pregnancy

Exercise is generally great during pregnancy, but there are some risks associated with it. Make sure you are exercising, you are accompanied by people you are being looked after by a trainer, and there is access to a medical professional Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise routine if you have any of these health conditions like uncontrolled medical problems like asthma, heart disease, or type 1 diabetes. Pregnancy complications like bleeding, a weak cervix, or certain types of placenta issues. Certain risk factors during pregnancy like severe anemia, uncontrolled blood pressure, or a history of smoking heavily. Your doctor can help you create a safe exercise plan based on your specific health and pregnancy.

Things to avoid during pregnancy

Activities with a high risk of bumps or falls include martial arts, contact sports, horseback riding, downhill skiing, and gymnastics. This also includes exercises that put pressure on your belly, avoid heavy weightlifting and exercises where you lie flat on your back for a long time (like wide squats or lunges). These things can hurt not just your baby but you as well. If you are not careful, you can put your life in danger. A list of things you should avoid are wide squats or lunges, weightlifting, and high altitude training.

There is a certain satisfaction that comes after powering through a tough HIIT session. You expect that fresh, healthy glow at the end, but some people instead end up with a face that looks bright red, which can make them feel uneasy once they leave the gym.

To help you get back to your favourite spin class or running route without second thoughts, we turned to dermatologists to understand why this happens and how to calm it down. Here is what actually causes that red flush after exercise and what you can do to manage it.

Why Is My Face Turning Red After Doing Workout?

Your face often reddens during a workout because your body sends more blood to the skin and your temperature rises. The blood vessels on your face open wider to help release heat. It is simply your body cooling itself while supplying oxygen to the muscles that are working.

Vascular Changes Cause Flushing

The encouraging part is that a flushed face after working out is usually a normal part of how the body reacts to exertion. As your temperature rises, sweat helps cool you down, but your body also shifts blood flow and widens vessels near the surface of the skin. This can show up as a red or flushed look. Blair Murphy, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, explains that this post-workout redness happens because the small blood vessels in the facial skin open up. The face tends to show it more clearly because it has many surface-level blood vessels.

People Prone To Flushing May Have More Superficial Capillaries

This kind of flushing appears in certain people simply because they have a greater number of capillaries near the surface. During exercise, your heart pumps faster to carry more oxygen to the muscles. The capillaries expand to move that oxygen efficiently while also carrying heat outward to help regulate temperature.

Your overall fitness level may also play a role. As blood flow increases, skin cells can release different substances in different individuals. Some may release prostaglandins, which add to the redness, while others may release histamines, which can also trigger flushing.

Flushing May Be More Noticeable In Fair Skin Tones

According to Arash Akhavan, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, everyone experiences flushing during exercise, but it is more visible in people with lighter skin because deeper pigment in darker skin tones can hide mild redness. He also notes that some people naturally have a more extensive network of tiny blood vessels, making their skin appear redder after exertion.

How To Prevent Facial Flushing?

Opt for lightweight clothing: You cannot completely stop redness during exercise, but you can take simple steps to reduce it. Try working out in a cooler setting and wear loose, light-coloured clothing to help your body regulate heat.

Avoid alcohol and excessive sun exposure: If your skin already flushes easily, alcohol before a workout is not a good idea. Corey L. Hartman, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology, explains that alcohol widens blood vessels and increases facial redness. Too much sun can also irritate the skin and make surface capillaries more visible by causing them to dilate.

Stay away from potentially irritating skincare: Those who flush often or have rosacea should avoid skincare that can irritate the skin further, including alcohol-heavy products, highly acidic creams, or strong retinoids. Dr. Akhavan recommends choosing calming, non-irritating products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and niacinamide.

Vitamin C is especially helpful because it protects the skin from oxidative stress and helps shield against UVA and UVB rays, which can intensify redness. Fragrance should also be avoided since it can trigger irritation and increase flushing.

Researchers at University College Cork, led by Professor Yvonne Nolan, have found key biological reasons why exercise can help protect your mental health, even if you eat a typical Western diet high in fat and sugar. Your diet plays a huge role in keeping your brain healthy. Studies have shown that eating processed foods can increase your chances of developing memory and thinking issues.

However, this one habit can help you keep these issues at bay, according to researchers. The study, published in the journal Brain Medicine, shows that regular running can reduce symptoms similar to depression that are often caused by unhealthy eating. These protective effects involve changes to your gut and hormones.

Can You Eat Junk If You Exercise Enough?

To figure out how diet and exercise influence the brain, the researchers studied adult male rats for seven and a half weeks. One group of rats ate a standard healthy diet, while the other group ate a rotating "cafeteria diet" of high-fat, high-sugar foods (like ultra-processed meals).

In both diet groups, half of the animals were given a running wheel to exercise freely. This setup allowed the team to clearly see the separate and combined effects of the poor diet and physical activity on the animals' mood and brain.

The main finding was positive

Voluntary running had an antidepressant-like effect on the rats, even those eating the unhealthy cafeteria diet. This suggests that getting regular physical activity can be helpful for a person's mood, even if they struggle to completely change their eating habits.

Mood and Memory

While the unhealthy diet didn't severely harm the rats' learning or memory skills, exercise slightly improved their ability to navigate. The researchers also noticed mild anti-anxiety effects from exercise that occurred regardless of what the animals were eating.

Can Your Diet Affect Your Mental Capacity?

The high-fat, high-sugar diet severely messed up the chemicals produced in the gut (called metabolites). The researchers analyzed the contents of the caecum (a part of the large intestine) and found that the unhealthy diet affected 100 out of 175 chemical compounds they checked.

Exercise helped to restore the balance, particularly increasing three metabolites—anserine, indole-3-carboxylate, and deoxyinosine—that are known to be important for regulating mood.

The study did find one complex finding related to brain growth. In rats that ate the standard, healthy food, exercise strongly boosted adult hippocampal neurogenesis (the creation of new brain cells in the hippocampus, the area linked to memory and emotion).

However, the cafeteria diet prevented this usual exercise-induced increase in new brain cells. This suggests that while exercise helps mood regardless of diet, a poor diet might actually stop the brain from fully gaining some of the deepest, cellular-level benefits of physical activity.

Is Exercise Good For Your Mental Health?

This research has important real-world meaning. As an accompanying editorial noted, the fact that "exercise has an antidepressant-like effect in the wrong dietary context... is good news" for people who find it very hard to switch to a perfect diet.

The findings give biological proof that exercise can be an effective tool for improving mental well-being even when facing the challenges of modern, processed foods.

Future research will need to study women and explore longer periods of exercise, but this study provides a strong foundation for using lifestyle changes to support mood and brain function.

If you have made exercise a regular part of your life, you have probably wondered when the ideal time to work out really is. Should you lace up your shoes first thing in the morning, hit the gym after work, or mix it up depending on your schedule?

According to the American Heart Association, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, ideally split across several days. Adding resistance or strength training three times a week can provide even greater benefits. But what do fitness experts say about the best time to get moving?

Should I Work Out in the Morning or at Night?

Both morning and evening workouts come with their own advantages, but what matters most is consistency. The best workout time is simply the one that fits into your daily routine and keeps you moving regularly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends getting 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week—activities like brisk walking, cycling, or jogging all count. It’s more effective to work out four evenings a week than to squeeze in only two early morning sessions.

Working Out in the Morning

Exercising early has a clear advantage, you can get it done before the rest of the day begins. Research also suggests that morning workouts can improve sleep patterns, regulate mood, and even support weight management.

Boosts Your Mood

Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals. Studies show that even short sessions of regular physical activity can lift your mood and lower cortisol, the stress hormone. Starting the day with lower stress levels can help you feel more focused and positive throughout the day.

Improves Sleep Quality

Morning exercisers often enjoy deeper, more restful sleep. One study found that those who worked out early tended to fall asleep faster, spend more time in deep sleep, and wake up less during the night.

May Lower Blood Pressure

Morning workouts can help stabilize blood pressure, particularly in women. Research suggests that women who exercised early in the day experienced lower post-exercise blood pressure, while men saw similar results when exercising in the afternoon.

Might Help You Lose Weight

Timing might play a role in how your body responds to exercise. One study found that people who worked out before noon lost more weight than those who exercised later in the day. Early exercisers were also more active overall, taking more daily steps. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Downsides Of Morning Workout

Despite the perks, morning workouts aren’t without drawbacks:

• Higher injury risk: Your body temperature is lowest right after waking up, which means less blood flow and muscle flexibility. This can increase your risk of strains or sprains. A proper warm-up can help prevent this.
• Low energy: Exercising on an empty stomach can make you feel weak or tired. Eating a small, protein-rich snack the night before or before your workout can help.

Working Out in the Afternoon or at Night

While early workouts offer plenty of advantages, exercising later in the day has its own set of benefits that may suit your body and lifestyle better.

Benefits Of Working Out in the Afternoon or at Night

• Better sleep quality: Moderate evening workouts can promote deeper, more restorative sleep and improve mental clarity and energy levels.
• Increased strength: Muscles follow a natural circadian rhythm, peaking in strength and flexibility in the afternoon or evening. This can enhance performance and help you lift heavier or move more efficiently.
• Stress relief: Evening workouts can be an excellent way to unwind after a long day. Physical activity triggers endorphins that improve mood and reduce tension.
• Social motivation: Friends and family are often more available later in the day, making evening workouts a good opportunity for shared fitness goals and accountability.
• Lower injury risk: Your body temperature is naturally higher in the evening, which helps muscles warm up faster and reduces stiffness.

Downsides Of Working Out in the Afternoon or at Night

• Sleep disruption: High-intensity exercise close to bedtime can leave you too energized to fall asleep easily. If you prefer nighttime workouts, stick to moderate activities like yoga or a brisk walk.
• Limited class options: Some gyms or studios may offer more morning classes than evening ones.
• Inconsistency: Evening schedules can get crowded with social plans or work commitments, making it harder to maintain a regular exercise routine.

How To Create a Workout Routine?

No matter the time of day, staying consistent is what truly makes the difference. Creating a set routine can help you build momentum and stick to your fitness goals long-term.

Morning and evening workouts both offer unique benefits and a few drawbacks. Some studies suggest morning exercise may deliver slightly better results overall, but the best time to work out is the time that fits your life. What counts is showing up for yourself and keeping the habit steady.