Pregnancy Exercises
Why do you need to know about pregnancy exercises? How are exercises important for pregnant women? What all exercises should be practised during pregnancy?
Various questions like these and many more are always in focus and often discussed when a woman is pregnant.
The main reason of giving importance to exercises during pregnancy is they help in delivering smoothly. So it is utmost necessary for a woman to know why and what all exercises she needs to perform and what not to, during pregnancy.
Exercise creates wonders during pregnancy. It helps in the strengthening of the muscles, increases the power of endurance and keeps you active, which is helpful during the child birth. But staying active doesn't mean that you will burn up yourself. It is necessary to take care while choosing the pregnancy exercises and their techniques. This is because during this pregnancy time period, the body releases a hormone called relaxin which loosens the body joints as a part of preparation for the delivery. Therefore the exercise should be chosen such that it would not harm the baby growing inside.
Exercises are instrumental in regulating the pumping of heart, managing weight gain and preparing the muscles for hard work of labour and delivery without causing much physical stress. Pregnancy exercises like walking, running, swimming, etc are fine to begin with but you may need to modify their techniques in the later stages of pregnancy. It is advisable to avoid the activities like cycling and skiing that maximises the risk of slips and falls. Before going for any kind of workouts, it is important to consult the health care provider or the mid-wife.
Walking is quite safe and best cardiovascular exercise for pregnant women. It keeps the body fit without jarring knees and ankles. This exercise can be added to the day-to-day schedule as it can be done throughout the pregnancy. Other exercises that can be taken up include running and swimming. Running or jogging is the most efficient way to make the heart and body work. Doing the same for at least 15 minutes a day is good enough to keep the body fit and the blood vessels active. Fitness experts recommend swimming as the safest and best exercise for pregnant women. This is because it exercises both the arms and legs muscle groups and provides good cardiovascular benefits. Besides, it makes pregnant women feel weightless even though they bear the extra weight of pregnancy.
Other than swimming, aquanatal classes can be also considered as an option for pregnancy exercises. Exercising while standing in water does not affect the joints much. It also helps in reducing the swelling in legs seen in the later stages of pregnancy. Weight training can also be a part of the routine but it must be tackled carefully. Heavy weights, overheating and fatigue must be avoided. When done with proper technique and necessary measures, it can help in the toning and strengthening of muscles.
Besides the above mentioned pregnancy exercises, yoga, stretches and pilates can also be considered as a choice to keep the body fit during pregnancy. Yoga and stretching keeps the body flexible with toned muscles. But then, they are to be done with utmost care. Stretches should not be kept for too long and flexibility should not be over developed as well. Pilates is basically a combination of flexibility and strength training with body awareness, breathing and relaxation. Most of the pilates exercises are usually performed on hands and knees position. This helps in taking of stress off the back and pelvis and helps in positioning of the baby during delivery.
Other ways of keeping the body fit apart from these pregnancy exercises are dancing and aerobics. Dancing gets your heart pumping and keeps you at ease but care must be taken while there is a need of twirl or jump or sudden change in direction. Applying proper technique is important. Aerobics are good for pregnant women because of their time consistency. If you have enrolled yourself in aerobics class then you are sure that you will get some exercise and each movement of yours is safe for you and the baby.
Above mentioned are some of the ways by which a body can be kept fit and fine during the pregnancy periods. These pregnancy exercises help in making the look and feel of pregnant women better by preventing wear and tear on their body joints. They also help in having a distressed and sound sleep. Besides, these exercises prepare the body for the delivery and again help in regaining the pre-pregnancy body more quickly. It is important to work out some of the pregnancy exercises with proper care and consultation so as to have a healthy and painless child birth.
