Benefits of Exercise: 6 Exercises You can Engage in During Pregnancy

Regular exercises during pregnancy have a lot of health benefit and most importantly, it prepares the body for childbirth. however, some exercises are suitable for pregnant women while others need to be modified because pregnancy affects how the body responds to exercise.

Exercises tips during pregnancy

• Avoid strenuous exercise. whether you have been active before pregnancy or not, keep the exercise light or moderate that you are able to hold a conversation without being breathless. you may begin with 15 minutes of exercise, 3 times a week, and increase it gradually to two (2) hours.
• Drink a lot of water and other fluids.
• Warm-up before every exercise and cool down afterward.
• Keep active on a daily basis, you may take a 30-minute walk.

Benefits of exercising during pregnancy 

1. It Reduces back pains, constipation, bloating, and swelling
2. It helps to boost your mood and energy levels
3. It helps you to get better sleep
4. It helps to prevent excessive weight gain
5. It reduces the risk of gestational diabetes
6. It helps to shortened labor
7. It reduces the risk of having a C-section

Exercise to avoid during pregnancy 

• Avoid lying flat on your back, especially after 16 weeks of pregnancy. this is because the weight of the bump can press against the big blood vessel thereby reducing blood flow to your baby
• kickboxing, tennis football and other contact sport should be avoided as there is a risk of being hit.
• Avoid any sport with the risk of falling.
• Avoid exercise where you get too hot as higher body temperature may be unsafe for your baby.

When to stop exercising

You need to stop exercising the moment you start experiencing any of the following signs.

• Vaginal bleeding
• nausea and vomiting
• headache, feeling faint or dizzy
• the weakness of the muscle.
• reduction in your baby movement
• chest pain
• unexplained shortness of breath.

Here are 6 Exercises you can engage in during pregnancy

Knee push-ups

Start by kneeling on the floor with your hands slightly spread out and your body straight in line from your head to your knees. slowly lower your torso to the floor by bending your elbow out to the side, exhale and push your back up to the starting position. you can do this 15 times.

Assisted Back Lunge Split

Place your right hand on a chair and take a big step backward with your right leg. bend both knees downward. briefly hold and slowly straighten both legs, repeat this 15 to 20 times on each leg.

Inner Thigh

Lying on your side, bend your top leg in front of you closer to your hip at a 90-degree angle lift your bottom leg as much as you can still maintaining proper form.

Downward dog

keep your hands a few inches from your shoulder, and tuck your toes to form an ‘A’ shape. hold the position for 5 seconds and slowly shift into a high plank with your hands directly under your shoulders. if you are in for the first trimester, you can hold your plank for 30 seconds before shifting back into your downward dog. you can decrease the amount of time you hold your high plank as pregnancy advances. do this flow 10 times.

Bird dog

start by kneeling and placing both hands on the floor, then slowly stretch out one arm and opposite leg straight and strong, then hold for 5 seconds or less. return to starting position and repeat 20 times.

Side-Lying Leg Lifts

Lay on your side, raise and straighten out your leg at a 45-degree angle. keep your head up by supporting it with your bottom hand, place the other hand in front of your body for support. lift your top leg up a few inches higher than your hip and then almost all the way down.

Conclusion

The exercise listed here will help to strengthen your muscles to enable you to carry the weight of pregnancy, make your joint stronger, reduce back pain and improve circulation. Mind you moderation is the key. try not to over work yourself and if you haven’t been exercising before, pregnancy should be your motivation to doing that.

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