It’s the month of mothers! Best wishes to all of you existing moms, and those who are soon to be! To help you “soon to be mothers” through the tough period of pregnancy, we have come up with some exercises for pregnant women that can be done to keep yourself and the baby fit, and to make the delivery easier for you. These will also reduce discomforts like back ache and sleep troubles that you may be facing. Let’s have a look at them and try to implement some of them for you and your baby.
1. Brisk Walk
This is one of the easiest exercises that can keep you fit and active. 30 minutes of brisk walking a day, done in 3 sets of 10 minutes each can do wonders for you and your baby. And you can do it right till the delivery. (Brisk walk can be done around 5 times a week)
2. Swimming
This is another great way to keep yourself and your baby healthy. You will feel so much lighter in the water and you’ll be able to swim with ease despite the baby bump. Swimming is gentle on the joints and will relieve you from swollen ankles. Go ahead, take a dip in the waters!
3. Yoga
Yoga can strengthen core muscles, ease back pain, and help you relax. Try yoga exercises recommended for prenatal period. You can consult Personal yoga trainers at Bro4u, who are ready to come to your house and help you do yoga. Avoid hot yoga, and asanas which require you to lie flat on your back. It can reduce blood flow to the uterus.
4. High Intensity Sports
If you play sports like tennis or go for running regularly, you can continue it. Make sure to go gentle, as your joints are more vulnerable to injury during this period. The threshold is, you should be able to talk while playing. If your breathing is too labored that you can’t even talk, then you need to take a break immediately. Make sure to play or run on flat surfaces, to avoid losing balance and falling.
5. Indoor Cycling
If you cycle regularly, you can consult your physician, and continue. Maintaining balance may get a little bit difficult though. Do find out about when you need to stop. Cycling indoors is a great idea. It can boost your heart rate without stressing your joints. You don’t have to worry about maintaining balance with the big baby bump, and you can cycle at your own comfortable pace.
6. Kegels
Kegel Exercises help to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, like the uterus, bladder, and bowels. And you can do them at anytime, anywhere, without anyone knowing. They can be very beneficial during childbirth. It can help reduce the labor duration and pain, before and after delivery.
To do them, squeeze the pelvic muscles as if you’re trying to stop urinating. Hold for five seconds and relax. Repeat it several times a day. With practice, you can squeeze them tight for longer periods of time. You can do them both before and after the delivery, as long as you feel comfortable.
7. For the Posture
To prevent sway back posture as the belly gets bigger, there are 2 pelvic tilt exercises you can try during pregnancy.
- Standing Pelvic Tilt: Stand with your back to the wall, with your feet out in front, 3 inches away from the wall. Tighten your stomach and buttocks and press your lower back to the wall.
- Kneeling Pelvic Tilt: Kneel down on all fours while keeping your back flat, tighten the abs and gently push your back in the upward direction. Don’t let your bump sag you down.
8. Low Impact Aerobics
Low impact or water aerobic exercises during pregnancy minimize the stress on your bones and joints, while boosting your heart rate. Low impact doesn’t mean low intensity. In addition to making you feel better, it increases flow of blood and nutrients in your body, promoting healing and reducing pain. Low-impact aerobics also helps control your weight and glucose levels, while strengthening your bones and muscles.
To start off, you can take help from fitness experts. If you want to do it at the comfort of your home, you can place a booking for Personal fitness trainers at Bro4u. They will come to your house whenever you are comfortable to train you.
Bonus Tip!
Pregnancy can make your joints more vulnerable to injury. You need to stay away from exercises which require jerking, bouncing, or losing your balance. As the bump grows bigger, your center of gravity changes, so you need to be more careful to maintain balance. Do not stand up or do any movements too quickly.
Feel free to skip exercise on days you don’t feel up to it. Pay attention to how you feel and work according to it. After all, your comfort and your baby’s health is of utmost importance.
Let us know how many if these exercises for pregnant women would you like to implement in your life in the comment section below!
