Exercise can do wonders for you and your baby during pregnancy. It can improve your mood, bring you proper sleep, reduce the aches, reduce excess weight gain, strengthens your muscles and prepares you for childbirth. It can also help you get back to your original shape soon after delivery. Many researchers have also proved that prenatal workouts can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Exercise can help you be more energetic during the pregnancy period. Once your gynecologist shows you a green light, it’s perfectly safe to practice a few exercises under proper guidance. Discussing with your gynecologist is crucial because if you’re undergoing any kind of fertility treatment in Chennai and you have complications, exercise will not be recommended for you. But before you start, read this article to know about some of the best prenatal workouts for Mom-to-be.
- Brisk walking
If you are starting up with your exercise, a quick walk around the neighborhood is a good way to start. This is the best cardio exercise for moms-to-be which does not have any major impact on the knees and ankles. It can be done starting from your first trimester to your last trimester.
Safety tips – Choose an even surface, avoid walking on rutted roads because as pregnancy progresses, you can lose your balance and coordination.
- Swimming
Many healthcare providers and fitness experts recommend swimming as the best and safest exercise during pregnancy. Swimming can provide you cardiovascular benefits, reduces swelling and the buoyancy lets you feel weightless. It is also the best exercise for back pain relief.
Safety tips – Choose a swimming stroke that is more comfortable for you and does not hurt your neck or back. You can also choose a kickboard that can help nourish your leg and buttock muscles. Avoid diving or jumping, warm pools, hot tubs and steam rooms.
- Indoor cycling
Indoor cycling, also known as spinning is the best workout that you can do even in your first trimester. It is a great workout as it lets you pedal at your own comfort zone and does not put any pressure on your joints. It also reduces the risk of falling.
Safety tips – Adjust the height of the handlebars so that you do not lean forward and avoid pressure on your lower back. If you feel overheated sit out sprints. If cycling seems exhausting, you can definitely avoid it till your delivery.
- Yoga
Yoga is another perfect workout for pregnant women. Yoga helps in keeping the joints supple and provide more flexibility. Yoga also promotes relaxation, strengthens muscles, improves blood circulation, enhances focus, and deep breathing, all those which will help during childbirth.
Safety tip – Let your yoga instructor know about your body condition so that they can modify the poses that can be safer for you. From your second trimester, you should avoid poses that involve lying on your abdomen or on the back, as it may put pressure on the major veins and arteries which in turn can reduce the flow of the blood to the heart. Also, avoid overstretching during pregnancy.
- Aerobics and dance classes
Low-impact aerobics and dance classes like Zumba are great workouts for pregnant women. They can help in strengthening your heart and lungs and also helps support muscle tone. Low-impact aerobics are specifically recommended for moms-to-be as they avoid stress on the joints, assists in maintaining balance and reduces the risk of weakening the pelvic floor muscles. There are also aerobic classes specially conducted for pregnant women. This can be a good way to meet other moms-to-be and relax.
Safety tips – Avoid certain moves that require jumping, high kicks, leaps or fast running. Let your instructor know that you are pregnant. You can also opt for the water version of aerobics which is more better than the normal ones.
- Squatting and pelvic tilts
These exercises will help you prepare for the labor and delivery. Squatting can help open the pelvis during labor so it is best to practice it during pregnancy. Whereas pelvic tilts can make the abdominal muscles stronger and reduce the lower back pain.
Exercise helps in having an increased heart rate, keeping the body flexible, getting the muscles ready for labor and having a healthier birth weight. There are also plenty of other exercises to stay fit during pregnancy. If you’re unsure about what exercise you should practice, consult a good gynecologist. Your doctor can provide you with proper exercise guidelines based on your health history. You can contact the fertility specialists at Jeevan Mithra Fertility Centre, best IVF centre in Chennai. They are renowned for their test tube baby treatment in Chennai helping couples with fertility problems get conceived easily. The fertility specialists at Jeevan Mithra can guide you in practicing the exercises and have a healthy baby.
So lace up your sneakers and start doing your exercises now!
