4 Safe and Effective Pregnancy Workout Ideas

Looking for ways to stay healthy and fit during your pregnancy? Here are 4 Safe and Effective Pregnancy Workout Ideas

 

4 Safe and Effective Pregnancy Workout Ideas

If there’s one thing that separates being a mom from a dad is that we sure know the pain of childbirth. Pregnancy will affect all of us differently, and while some of us experience nausea from day one, others will feel fantastic and glowing (though that’s just sweat). Some of us spend the whole nine months feeling sick, tired, or sick and tired, so the thought of even doing exercise is the furthest thing from most moms’ minds. In fact, exercise can help with a lot of the common pregnancy issues, including constipation, aches and pains, and also exhaustion. It will also make for a healthier pregnancy overall. So here are some common (and mainly low-impact) workouts to try.

Swimming

There are so many aspects of prenatal care to consider, that many would not necessarily think of exercising as being top of their list, but it’s about the right sort of exercise. Continually recommended by doctors as a great way of exercising, whether you are pregnant or not, the low-impact nature of swimming is great for your joints and is a good way to get your heart rate up, which will help with blood flow to your vital organs as well as to the baby. There are plenty of pregnancy workout sessions that take place in the water, so look to see if there are any at your local pool.

Yoga

As a keep-fit method and as a way to calm your mind, yoga is the ultimate exercise when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. The relaxing movements slowly work your muscles, and the breathing will help to reduce your heart rate, meaning you will feel relaxed even though you have done a moderately intense workout session. For those ranges of motion where you may feel you are putting a lot of your bump on display, there are pregnancy workout clothes and tops to fit all sizes. If you are a beginner to yoga in the early stages of pregnancy, be careful with doing too much. Yoga is designed to be a very calming workout so you can go at your own pace.

Kegels

As an exercise, it doesn’t fall in the “workout” category, but it is an essential one nonetheless. The whole process of Kegels, if you haven’t heard of them, is to tighten your pelvic floor muscles (the same ones you use to hold your pee in) for a count of three, then relax for three, and do it again ten to fifteen times. You need to do this three times a day, and it’s essential for bladder control once the baby is born and it will decrease the chance of getting painful hemorrhoids.

For those who feel they are at a good level of fitness already, they can start to do more intense exercises, and if this is you, you need to be very aware of the risks you are putting yourself and your baby under. Speak to a professional first, and avoid contact sports. Be sure to warm up and cool down properly for every exercise to avoid strains and muscle aches. And a rule of thumb when you’re pregnant is if you can’t talk during the exercise, you are definitely doing too much!