What kinds of exercises are safe during pregnancy?
A regular exercise routine during pregnancy can help in keeping you healthy and making you feel your best. Your physical activity before pregnancy should continue but at a moderate level.
A few benefits of exercise are:
- It improves your posture
- It decreases common discomforts such as backaches and fatigue
- It may prevent gestational diabetes
- It relieves stress
- Lastly, it builds more stamina needed for labor and delivery
You can clearly figure out that exercise is quite essential even in your pregnancy. However, you should not overdo it. Engage in exercises that are most comfortable in your state. For example, low impact aerobics are better exercises during pregnancy rather than high impact aerobics. A 30 minute routine is quite sufficient for exercising.
Some of the safe exercises during pregnancy include:
1. Walking
Walking is probably the safest exercise during pregnancy that any expectant mother can engage in. It is not a strenuous activity. A regular walk of 15 to 30 minutes will do good for your body.
2. Swimming
Swimming is a very safe yet engaging exercise.
3. Indoor stationary cycling
4. Step or elliptical machines
5. Low impact aerobics
These exercises should be carried out under the supervision of a certified aerobics instructor.
6. Strength and toning exercises
During your pregnancy, you need your muscles limber and warm. Strengthening exercises are useful for this.
They include:
- Strengthening exercises for toned muscles include neck rotation, shoulder rotation, thigh shift, leg shake, and ankle rotation
- Kegel exercises are those that help strengthen the muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and bowels. As a result of strengthening these muscles will develop your ability to control the muscles in preparation for labor and birth. In addition, they promote postpartum healing, increased the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and better urinary control. Kegel exercises are like trying to either stop the flow of urine or not to pass gas. Doing this contracts the pelvic floor muscles, a part of Kegel exercises. As you do them, don’t move your leg, buttock or abdominal muscles.
7. Yoga
Yoga is one of the safest exercises during pregnancy. It is relaxing yet non- strenuous on your body. However, you should avoid postures that compromise your abdomen or stability. Click here to read more about the BENEFITS OF PREGNANCY YOGA.
Related Article: WHAT EXERCISES SHOULD YOU AVOID DURING PREGNANCY
Exercising During Pregnancy & Safety
There is little risk of injury associated with these exercises. Moreover, they benefit your entire body and be continued even after birth. There are exercises during pregnancy that are not necessarily bad such as tennis and racquetball. Nevertheless, the changes in balance during pregnancy may affect rapid movements. Exercise moderation with other exercises like jogging. Generally, you should choose activities which require little balance and coordination especially in the later stages of pregnancy.
Unfortunately, exercises during pregnancy are not advisable if you have medical problems or pregnancy-related condition such as:
- Asthma
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Bleeding or spotting
- Low placenta
- Threatened or recurrent miscarriage
- History of premature births or early labor
- Weak cervix
Exercising during pregnancy should be safe and hassle free. These exercises are safe for both you and your unborn child. Let go of the skepticism in order to enjoy the vast benefits of exercising during pregnancy.
Have you announced your pregnancy yet?
If not, here are a few creative ideas for pregnancy announcement:
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