Safe Workout Routines For Pregnant Women

An active lifestyle is something everyone needs to try to follow and this is especially true for pregnant women too. Sure, you have a teeny tiny human being growing inside you and should not stress too much. But a well designed exercise or workout regimen is never going to be harmful if you do it all in the right way. Doctors ask you to follow a normal routine unless there are medical complications, in which case they advise complete bed rest. But this is only in rare cases.

Low-Impact Pregnancy Workouts

Your joints are going to be more strained than ever as you will need to gain weight every month for the baby to grow in a healthy manner. But you can still continue to exercise. If you have never been particularly active, then you can try to focus on building a reasonably doable routine-like walking for about an hour, swimming, dancing, some nice yoga or any low impact exercise really. You can definitely do them all on different days of the week but don’t forget to stretch very well before you begin.

While exercising, you can remember this important tidbit-you should still be able to talk without feeling too breathless. That is the right place for you to exercise at. So, any exercise that involves lifting very heavy weights or places too much stress on your joints are not good for you. You should also stop if you think you are feeling too hot or getting dehydrated rapidly. If you have always been an active person, then you could go ahead and run or jog or do strength training too. But don’t forget to talk to your doctor for the best advice.

Pregnancy-Safe Stretches

The intensity of your workouts can vary depending on which trimester you are in. But yoga is always an excellent choice and some of the best stretches which will help relieve major tension from your back, shoulders and neck are as follows:

• Cat cow stretch-your lower back is majorly stressed during pregnancy. This stretch will help relieve tension and increase mobility of your spine and abdomen too.
• Child’s pose or balasana-this can greatly help with back pain and restore alignment.
• Setu or bridge pose-this is very good for your hip flexors. Your back, glutes and core also work together in this asana.
• You can also tilt your pelvis to the front to help your lower back feel better.
• You can sit down cross legged and slowly twist your torso to both sides. You should hold the stretch for a few seconds before switching sides.
• Squats are the best for helping your hip bone to open up. You can squat for a few minutes every day and increase the time for however long it is comfortable. But the right technique is very necessary. Also ask your doctor if you can squat. You may not be allowed to do them in a few cases.

Benefits Of Exercising During Pregnancy

Regular exercise is great if you are pregnant too. So, let us look at some of the advantages closely:

• Great for your heart-which is anyway beating more than usual.
• Will help reduce high blood pressure.
• You will not feel as grumpy either because of the endorphins.
• There are high chances of you getting constipated when pregnant. But with exercise, the possibility is much lower.
• Pregnancy by itself can cause issues like gestational diabetes or hypertension-both of which can be managed with some exercise every day.
• Stretching throughout can also help you give birth and prepare you in advance.
• There are lower chances of you needing a caesarean section if you exercise often.
• All the gentle stretching can greatly help your back stay pain free and strain free.
• You also tend to sleep better (we will discount the frequent loo trips and other stuff).

Conclusion

Being active during pregnancy has always not been received in the right manner by many of us. This is because we worry too much about the baby and forget that the health of the mother also needs to be in focus here. You can begin slowly and then increase the time intervals. If you think something is wrong, don’t hesitate to talk to your gynaecologist ASAP. We wish you an easy birth in the meantime.