Exercising during pregnancy is good for both the mother and the baby. It helps in lessening different kinds of discomforts, pains etc. which occur during pregnancy. Pregnant women can continue with the workouts they have been doing before getting pregnant. However, certain changes should be made with the pre-pregnancy workouts so that you feel comfortable doing the exercises and it doesn’t hurt your baby. It is very essential to seek your doctor’s advice before indulging in any kind of workout during pregnancy.
Reasons for modifying your pre-pregnancy workout during pregnancy:
- Change in Posture: During pregnancy many changes occur in the woman’s body. The weights of the baby, uterus, growing breasts, amniotic fluid etc. are some factors responsible for weight gain. And the increased weight makes your posture change. Your shoulders may be rounded and your hips may be tilted forward. Due to the postural changes, you would suffer from different types of body pain. So, in order to reduce pain during pregnancy, you should focus on workouts that strengthen your core muscles.
- Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles: The weight of the baby, uterus etc. makes your pelvic floor muscles weak. To make your pelvic floor muscles strong, you can indulge in pelvic floor exercises and kegels during pregnancy and after childbirth, as well.
Time to Stop Workouts
Though exercising is good during pregnancy, you should stop doing any form of exercises if you suffer from any of the following and consult your doctor.
- Out of breath before doing exercise
- Bleeding or spotting
- Chest pain, joint pain and stomach pain
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Walking difficulty
- Decrease in the movement of the foetus
- Leakage of amniotic fluid
- Risk of Preterm labour
Workout points to remember during pregnancy
- Avoid lying flat on your back for too long while doing workouts.
- Reduce the intensity and frequency of workouts during the last trimester at your doctor’s recommendation.
- Don’t indulge in uncomfortable jumps and twists during workouts
- Avoid contact sports or workouts which have the possibility of getting you out of balance.
- Avoid workouts that put too much pressure on your abdominal area.
- Workout when the climate is not too hot and humid or in temperature controlled environment.
- Wear comfortable clothes and good supportive undergarments during workouts.
- Wear the right shoes which are comfortable.
- Hydrate yourself before, after and during workouts with water or juices.
- In order to keep your energy high, you can have a light snack before doing workouts
Images Courtesy:
https://www.fix.com/blog/prenatal-exercise-and-health/
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a758/guide-to-exercising-in-pregnancy