The Best Way To Exercise During Pregnancy
If you are pregnant and want to be as fit and healthy as possible throughout your pregnancy, the following advice should help you get started with an exercise routine.
When people find out you’re expecting, do you suddenly become the target of a barrage of unsolicited views and pieces of advice? One of the most widespread beliefs is that pregnant women should refrain from engaging in physical activity. We are aware, correct? There are a lot of folks who don’t have all the facts out there.
The reality is that a woman who is pregnant absolutely has to maintain a consistent workout routine. In addition, if you’ve always led an active lifestyle, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t be able to continue your normal routine of working out and other activities even while you’re pregnant.
It is well recognized that maintaining a regular exercise routine throughout pregnancy will keep you healthy and help you prevent difficulties such as back discomfort and exhaustion. Participating in physical activity can assist you in keeping your posture in check. In addition, regular activity during pregnancy is essential for ensuring a healthy birth.
However, be sure you don’t put too much pressure on yourself. For instance, if you are trying to reduce weight when you are pregnant, engaging in excessive exercise may be dangerous for both you and your unborn child.
Let’s take a look at some of the dos and don’ts of exercising while pregnant. In the following sections, we continue our discussion on the many types of weight-lifting exercises that are safe to perform during pregnancy for both beginning weightlifters and those with more experience.
Weight Lifting
Lifting weights is an excellent kind of exercise for pregnant women and new mothers in the postpartum period. You should feel free to engage in some weight lifting during your pregnancy unless your obstetrician specifically directs you to refrain from physical activity.
It will assist you in managing the additional weight that you will be carrying both during and after your pregnancy as a result of having the baby. Finding out which types of exercise are safe for you to do while pregnant will help you avoid doing activities that could be hazardous to either you or your unborn child.
Exercises for Those Who Are Just Starting to Lift Weights
Lifting weights during pregnancy is beneficial because it will prepare you for the rigors of carrying a baby in one arm and a diaper bag in the other arm once the baby is born. By performing the workouts listed below while you are pregnant, you can better prepare your biceps for the upcoming challenge.
Bicep Curls
To do a bicep curl, you should begin by selecting lighter weights. Begin with weights that are less than or equal to 12 pounds. The next thing you need to do is stand up straight and adjust your legs so that they are shoulder-width apart. Keep your knees from locking inward. Lift your chest and bring your elbows in toward your body.
Now, bring the weights up to your shoulders in a controlled manner while you breathe out. Check that your forearms and the floor are both aligned at right angles to one another. Repeat the motion up to a maximum of ten times, lowering your arms back to the beginning position gradually each time.
Keep in mind that you should move slowly and take breaks in between sets of repetitions. Be sure to keep breathing normally even when you start to feel the burn in your muscles.
Sumo Squats
During pregnancy, strengthening your lower body muscles with exercises like the sumo squat will help ensure that your body can support the additional weight that it will be carrying. This is how you should carry them out.
Choose a set of dumbbells that you feel confident using during your workout. Next, verify that your legs and feet are spread far apart, and that all of your toes are pointed in the same direction. As soon as you feel that you have achieved the optimal position, grab a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms in front of you.
Your palms should be facing inside toward you. Make sure that your knees are bent and that your back is aligned properly. Remember to keep breathing throughout any form of physical activity you conduct while you are pregnant. Perform 12 to 15 repetitions in sets of three before stopping to rest. You can keep going to the very end if you don’t feel the need to stop and relax.
The Transition From Standing Row To Reverse Fly
Your shoulders and back will become stronger as a result of this workout, and it will also assist to prevent soreness.
The row to reverse fly stand is demonstrated here for your reference. Maintain a distance of three strides between your feet. Your left foot needs to be in front of the other. After that, you will want to move your right heel closer to the ground while bending your left knee to the side. Extend your arms while holding a dumbbell in each hand, making sure the palms of your hands are facing each other. After that, bend forward from the hips and take a few steps forward.
When you are ready, bring the weights into your lower ribs by bending your elbows behind you and bringing them closer to your body. After that, bring your arms back to where they were at the beginning of the exercise and lift them to shoulder height by your sides. Repeat the step after moving back to the starting position.
Advanced Weightlifters Should Continue Their Weight Training Routines During Pregnancy
You are considered an advanced lifter if you have been lifting weights for six months to one year before to becoming pregnant. However, in order to ensure that exercising while pregnant will not cause you more harm than good, you should be sure to rest for multiple days in a row. As an illustration, you could lift on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- The Power and Press with Dumbbells
You should keep your feet about the width of your shoulders apart and stand upright while holding the dumbbells at your sides. After that, bend at the knees and bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders while maintaining the bend in your knees. There is no requirement to perform a full squat at this time. Lift the dumbbells above your head when you are at a comfortable posture, and then immediately return them to their starting position. This is a fantastic exercise for pregnant women to relieve the discomfort of back strain.
- A Strenuous Exercise Routine
This is a strenuous activity that should not be undertaken by pregnant women who are just getting started with working out. You need to warm up first in order to perform this workout while you are pregnant since your body has to be prepared. After walking for five to ten minutes on the treadmill, perform five sets of five reps of squats. After that, choose a weight that you feel confident working with and move on to the next step. If you’d like to utilize barbells, that’s fine.
After that, grab some dumbbells and perform one set of 12 repetitions of the arm curl exercise. After you have completed everything, head back to the treadmill and walk at a rapid pace for one minute. Regain control of your dumbbells and perform one set of twelve forward weight lunges.
Walk for another minute on the treadmill after you’ve taken a break. Keep in mind that you are engaging in an activity of high intensity while pregnant, and if you feel the need to do so, you should stop and catch your breath. After you have had some time to recuperate, pick up your dumbbells and perform one set of twelve reps of a chest press. Simply return to the treadmill for one additional minute of high-intensity walking, and you will have completed the workout.
Don’t forget to do some gentle stretching while you cool down. When performing this workout while pregnant, make sure to use caution. When you exercise while pregnant, it is critical that you protect both you and your unborn child by wearing appropriate footwear. This will help reduce the risk of injury to both of you.
How the Body Changes During Pregnancy Affect Your Workouts
It is essential that in addition to learning the ways in which exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to the baby, you are also aware of the ways in which the advantages of exercise during pregnancy change during each trimester. The varied phases of pregnancy play a significant role in determining which forms of exercise are safest and most beneficial to perform while pregnant.
Keep in mind that as your pregnancy advances, your body will go through many changes, and you may find that you are unable to do certain tasks. Additionally, in order to supply oxygen to both you and your kid, your heart is having to function at a rate that is twice as fast. If you were exercising before you found out that you were pregnant, then you should be able to maintain the same level of intensity during the first trimester of your pregnancy.
Throughout your pregnancy, you will need to participate in exercises that both strengthen your core and improve your posture. You can continue to engage in pregnancy-safe strength training exercises as well as other low-impact routines once you have reached the second trimester. If you weren’t already in excellent shape before you became pregnant, you should try to take it easy throughout the third trimester.
You need to keep the weight off of your joints and concentrate on exercises that strengthen your hips and core in order to avoid joint pain. You should perform workouts of a low intensity and try to relax as much as possible in between different workout regimens.
Conclusion
Your body will recover more quickly after delivery if you stay active throughout your pregnancy and maintain the fitness level you had before becoming pregnant. Exercising while pregnant will speed up your recovery time after giving birth if you follow the recommendations of your attending physician and work with a qualified personal trainer.