BEST PRENATAL EXERCISES - Part 2
Are you pregnant and want to make sure you are healthy while carrying your baby and during delivery? Look at this easy-to-follow and safe exercise guide that can be done at home with little to no equipment.
Working out during pregnancy can decrease your risk of developing gestational diabetes, improve general fitness and recovery after your partum period, and avoid abdominal muscle weakness during your delivery. Furthermore, working out can help you emotionally by boosting positive hormones to improve your mood and mental health (NASM, 2022).
With this step-by-step guide, you'll be able to easily learn and incorporate these exercises that help you strengthen your core muscles, improve your muscle mind connection for your partum, and create the habit of including prenatal exercises in your daily routine.
Best prenatal exercises for a healthy pregnancy and delivery
1. Cable Walkouts
Great prenatal exercise for muscle mind connection and core work. Doing this exercise while pregnant will not only help you strengthen your core and pelvic floor, but will also help you during your delivery.
Instructions : place the handle of the cable machine, medium height. While holding the handle step away from the machine. Flex your knee slightly and engage your core. Slowly move away and back. You can do 30 seconds of movement and rest 30 seconds, repeat three times
2. Kneeling Copenhagen Plank
Great prenatal exercise because it works your core and oblique muscles. This is a challanging exercise and you have the option to keep your lower knee on the floor if you feel like this version is too hard on your body. If you feel comfortable doing it, however, this is perfect to work your muscles.
Instructions: find a medium height bench. Place one of your knees on top and bring the other one up to start the exercise. You can hold for 30 seconds on each side and repeat three times, rest 30 seconds in between sets. Make sure to engage the core - push belly button in - during the movement for better results.
3. Bird Dog Taps
This is a great exercise for anyone (pregnant or not). But it is specially good for prenatal training because it can alleviate lower back pain without putting too much pressure on your body while doing the exercise. It also helps you strengthen your lower back and core, which will help you during carrying the baby and labor.
Instructions: start with table top position on the floor. Bring one arm up and the opposite leg back at the same time, tapping your foot on the floor. You can do 3 sets of 20 reps (alternating), and rest 1min between each set.
4. Kneeling Side Bends
Great exercise to include in your routine! Focuses on core and the oblique muscles. It is great for prenatal work because it works your ab muscles without you having to “crunch” your body (which you need to avoid during pregnancy). It is also a little bit easier on your body than side planks, which can be too much if you’re pregnant.
Instructions: You can do 3 sets of 10 reps on each side and rest 30 seconds in between the sets. Make sure to engage the core - push belly button in - during the movement for better results.
5. Cable Kickbacks
This is a great exercise if you are feeling lower back pain during pregnancy. It strengthens your core and improves your posture beside working your glutes. It is also one of the exercises you can do throughout the entire pregnancy (upon doctor’s approval) because it is a standing movement.
Depending on how your body feels, you can position yourself leaning forward higher or lower before starting the exercise. Important tip: make sure your core is engaged and your back is steady (you should not be moving your torso up and down - only the legs).
Instructions: You can do 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg, and rest 30s between each set. I recommend light weight (around 10lbs) and for you to focus more in your form during this movement.
Things to be aware of:
Monitor your heart rate: You want to make sure it stays low during your workouts while pregnant (this will avoid induced high blood pressure). Make sure to ask your doctor what your average bpm should stay below (usually you want to keep it under 140 bpm). You can take longer rests and focus more on strength training vs. cardio to help with this.
Avoid lying down exercises: They can cause induce hypertension during pregnancy. For this, you can modify your exercises to doing seated or standing exercises.
Avoid crunches: Focus on core exercises that involve pelvic floor and abdominal muscle engagement instead (like the exercise ideas given above).
Hope you enjoy the exercises and appreciate this time to take care of yourself and your baby’s health!
Reference:
NASM (2022). Women’s Fitness Specialist Couse Certification. Website: https://www.nasm.org/continuing-education/fitness-specializations/womens-fitness-specialization?srsltid=AfmBOooNJeH907lxjUg0Elp_1-687EUOCkk248c8Kaf3dsxnA8KjtyvF#curriculum
