BEST PRENATAL EXERCISES
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.
Learn the best prenatal exercises for a healthy pregnancy and delivery
1. Standing Drawn In Maneuver
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 : Relax your core while inhaling, then exhale slowly while engaging your core, pushing your belly button in. Perform the movement slowly and controlled. You can do four sets of 10 reps, resting 30 seconds between each set.
2. Kneeling Side Bends
Great prenatal exercise because it works your core and oblique muscles. 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.
3. Wall Ball Squats
This is a great exercise for anyone (pregnant or not). But it is specially good for prenatal training because it is standing -read info bellow - and it works your core and legs!
Instructions: You can do 3 sets of 15 reps, and rest 1min between each set.
4. Seated Medicine Ball Squeeze
Great exercise to include in your routine! Focuses on core and inner thighs. It is great for prenatal work because it helps you learn to engage your pelvic floor.
Instructions: engage the core and bring your legs together squeezing the medicine ball for about 20 reps. Repeat four times! This exercise can also be done with a pillow or even putting both of your wrists in between the legs for resistance.
5. Seated Cat and Camel
This is a great exercise if you are feeling lower back pain during pregnancy. It strengthens your core and improves your posture. It also reduces upper body tightness and lower back pain. The seated cat and camel is an exercise that you can easily incorporate into your routine.
Instructions: You can do 4 sets of 10 reps, and rest 30s between each set.
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 induced 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 ab 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
