Tag Archives: prenatal exercise

6 Great Types of Prenatal Exercise

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It is important to stay active while pregnant, as it can help the health of both yourself and your baby, and can better prepare and condition your body for labor. If you haven’t caught our last article on how to exercise safely while pregnant, you can check it out here. Now for some of our favorite prenatal fitness picks:

  1. Prenatal Yoga 

    Is a great prenatal exercise choice as it is specially formulated to suit the pregnant body and can easily adapted for different health situations or during different trimesters. Yoga can help with relaxation, deep breathing and flexibility while simultaneously strengthening many of your muscle groups.

  2. Walking 

    Walking is perhaps the safest and most convenient workout on the list, as you can safely go for walks until your due date and you can do so anywhere, no expensive gym membership needed! Just be careful not to walk or hike on rocky terrain or walk in slippery conditions, as a fall can have tragic consequences during pregnancy.

  3. Swimming  

    Swimming is perhaps one of the best exercises for pregnant women as the water reduces impact on your lower body joints and increases resistance to help you work up a light sweat. You will feel light and comfortable while swimming, as it will take a load off your feet and knees.

  4. Resistance Band Exercises

    Resistance band exercises are excellent prenatal fitness choices as they are not high impact or dangerous and can be modified to suit each trimester. Resistance band exercises can target virtually any muscle group.

  5. Light Aerobics  

    There are various types of aerobic exercises that should be safe throughout a pregnancy, including treadmill or elliptical use, stepping stool aerobics or special aerobics classes that have been designed and choreographed with pregnancy in mind.

  6. Stationary Cycling  

    This one may be case-dependent. If you are still comfortable on a bike and love cycling, try taking it indoors while pregnant so you don’t risk an accident that could hurt you or the baby. Indoor cycling is great aerobic exercise and is safe as long as it is comfortable and you get your doctor’s approval!

It so important that you listen to your body when exercising while pregnant. If you begin spotting (bleeding) or feel dizzy or have chest pain, be sure to stop immediately and seek medical attention. Thanks for visiting DocChat!

Tips For Exercising Safely During Pregnancy

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Many moms-to-be avoid exercising, not wanting to add any more stress than necessary to the delicate ecosystem that is a pregnant body, however, both you and your baby can benefit from the right kind of bodily stress – prenatal exercise.

Some of the benefits of Prenatal Exercise

Exercising routinely during your pregnancy can have a plethora of health benefits including:

  • lower risk of experiencing delivery complications
  • It can help you catch more zzz’s
  • Help regulate the bowels (which are often on the fritz during pregnancy)
  • Give you more energy, helping you avoid fatigue
  • It reduces the risk of preeclampsia
  • It can strengthen your muscles which may help with delivery
  • May also help reduce back and pelvic pain associated with pregnancy

5 Cautions For Safe Pregnancy Workouts

  1. Check in with your Doc – mild to moderate prenatal exercise is perfectly healthy for most moms-to-be, however if you fall into a high risk category or have pre-existing health conditions, you may not be a candidate for certain types of exercise. It is important to talk to your doctor so he or she can assess you and give approval before you begin an exercise regimen.
  2. Listen to your body – don’t push yourself past the point of aching or exhaustion while you’re expecting. This may seem like common sense, but sometimes when we are ‘in the zone’, it is easy to forget to bring things down a notch. If you feel any sensations or symptoms that are out of the ordinary such as pelvic pain or cramping, stop what you are doing and get medical attention right away.
  3. Go easy – It is important to ease into activity while pregnant. Be sure to start with a gentle warm up and slowly turn it up. You may have been able to sprint like an Olympian and lift a small elephant before becoming pregnant, but your high intensity workouts will need to make way for gentler types of exercise during pregnancy. You don’t want to put too much strain on yours or the baby’s body while working out, so it is important to modify whatever workout you are choosing to suit your new body as to not put your pregnancy at risk.
  4. Avoid lying flat – Try to avoid activities or poses where you lie directly on your back on the floor, as that can put too much pressure on your back, as well as reduce blood flow to the baby.
  5. Stay cool and hydrated – while it is never a good idea to neglect h2o during your workout or risk overheating, both dehydration and overheating can be especially detrimental during pregnancy. Both can lead to serious prenatal complications such as birth defects, so be sure to drink plenty of fluids and avoid exercising in the sun, spending time in a sauna or working out too hard.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the best types of exercise to do while pregnant. Thanks for visiting DocChat!