Pregnancy Exercise: Safe Exercises for Pregnant Women

Synopsis

Pregnancy Exercise: Looking for the best exercises during pregnancy? Here are a few safe exercises for pregnant women to guide you through each trimester during pregnancy.

At Indira IVF, we advocate regular exercise for pregnant women. Exercising is an excellent way to maintain fitness, reduce low back pain, manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduce stress and improves postpartum recovery.

If you have been exercising regularly even before pregnancy, you can continue with pregnancy exercise. Remember to not exercise immediately after eating or if you are alone and wear loose clothes instead of tight clothes. Remember to never bend down or do an exercise where you need to balance your body or while lying on your back for a long time.

If you have never exercised, start slow and gradually do pregnancy exercises for 20-30 minutes a day. But if you are facing any problem while exercising or after it, please consult your doctor.

Cardio such as walking, swimming, stationary cycling are top picks for all three trimesters.

Pregnancy exercise for the 1st trimester

There are a variety of exercises for pregnant women like a pelvic curl which works on spinal mobility and strengthening the abdominal muscles that will support your belly as it gradually becomes bigger. You can also begin with pelvic braces and continue through the pregnancy as long as you don’t feel any pain during intercourse or have any urinary urgency. Kneeling push-ups is another exercise for pregnant women that targets core and upper body strengthening together. Squats is also a recommended pregnancy exercise as it strengthens the muscles in the lower body like quads, glutes and hamstrings. You should also begin bicep curls and continue it throughout all trimesters.

Pregnancy exercise for the 2nd trimester

Due to changes in posture, the 2nd trimester is perfect to develop a stretching routine that focuses on hip flexors, quadriceps, low back, glutes and calves. Incline push-ups is a great exercise for pregnant women. Work on the muscles that help with balance and assist in pelvic stabilization like the side-lying leg lifts. This is the time to begin mermaid stretches as well.

Pregnancy exercise for the 3rd trimester

You must avoid any exercise during this time that could lead to a loss of balance. This is a great time to focus on cardiovascular activities that keep you in motion like walking, swimming, prenatal yoga, Pilates, pelvic floor exercises and bodyweight moves.

Staying active during pregnancy is beneficial for both the mother and the baby. All you need to ensure is you listen to your body and stop if you feel uncomfortable. Keep in touch with your doctor and share your concerns and observations with your doctor.