Baby-Friendly Exercises
It’s true! Not only is exercising during pregnancy possible, but it’s recommended. Regulate your weight and get in shape for childbirth with these exercises.
Even with nausea and fatigue standing in your way, exercising while pregnant is beneficial for you and your baby. It’s important to be active to help you regulate your weight, prepare for appropriate weight gain, and get you in shape for childbirth. Exercise also improves your sleep and mood.
You should start with a low level of exertion and work yourself up to 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week. In general, low-impact activities are comfortable for most women who are pregnant. Some higher-impact activities are safe if consistent with your activities before becoming pregnant.
Talk with your physician about your workout and exercise routine.
Walking
Simply walking 10 minutes a day, three to five times a week, can be a great exercise. You can build upper body strength by swinging your arms and get your heart rate up by increasing your speed. Stay away from broken sidewalks to prevent falling.
Yoga
Along with building muscle strength and balance, yoga improves your flexibility, reduces blood pressure and teaches you breathing rhythms that may help during childbirth. Try 30 minutes of yoga a day or week. Avoid backbends, twisting, headstands, lying on your back, and hot yoga. If you’re new to practicing yoga, seek out a prenatal class. In a normal class, tell your instructor you’re pregnant and ask if there are any modifications you should make through poses.
Prenatal Pilates
Seek out a specific prenatal Pilates workout once weekly to help you build strength and balance that can help with lower back pain and coordination. Pilates builds core muscles through a series of equipment and floor exercises. You should avoid poses that require you to lie on your back and any twisting motions.
Women who exercised while pregnant experienced less back pain, had more energy, and had a faster return to their pre-pregnancy figure. Before you start working out, make sure you know your limits to avoid injury. Also, talk to your doctor and inform him of your exercise plan.
