Pregnancy is a time of vast change in a woman’s life, and while getting ready for a brand-new person (or people) involves a lot of planning, reading, midwife visits, storytelling, and more, getting ready for the physical challenges of being pregnant and giving birth are incredibly important as well.
Whether or not you were an avid exerciser before you got pregnant, engaging in regular exercise during pregnancy will provide safety and stamina for you and your baby. For the uninitiated and the seasoned exerciser alike, here are some of the best exercises a pregnant woman can do.
Swimming
Many healthcare providers, midwives, obstetricians, and fitness experts believe swimming to be the best exercise a pregnant woman can get. Large muscle groups all over the body are worked and toned from the arms to the shoulders, hamstrings and ankles. It also offers plenty of cardiovascular benefits, which all pregnant women need.
Swimming also takes place in a relatively safe environment where a woman’s changing body, increasing weight, and questionable balance don’t come as much into play as they do with other types of exercise. Of course, having access to a pool that’s large enough to swim in can be a challenge for many moms-to-be, which is why there are plenty of other exercise options on this list.
Walking
Another incredibly popular pregnancy exercise is walking, and because all it requires is a decent pair of shoes, nearly every pregnant woman — regardless of her fitness level — can go for a walk and benefit from it.
For women who are new to exercise, walking is an ideal introduction to fitness that rarely leads to self-consciousness or injury. Low-impact, it isn’t hard on joints, and it’s an activity that almost everyone already knows how to do, which means there’s no learning curve. For women who are used to exercising, walking can provide a safe and more comfortable way to stay fit during pregnancy than higher impact activities, and because it can be so easily tailored to each individual woman — both in effort and duration — there’s no point at which doing it won’t be beneficial.
If you’d like to walk, but find that you struggle with the motivation to do so, try getting a heart rate monitor. Studies show that simply wearing a hear rate monitor leads to an increased amount of walking.
Pre-Natal Yoga
Pre-natal yoga is a specialized form of yoga practice that can help pregnant women gain and maintain muscle tone, muscle control, and flexibility without any harmful impact on their joints.
Geared especially toward moms-to-be, pre-natal yoga focuses on the muscles and tendons used most during pregnancy and delivery so that women are more prepared for labor when it arrives. However, because of the more meditative and serene nature of yoga, it may be necessary to supplement a pre-natal yoga class with some cardiovascular activity.
Stretching
Regardless of whether you continue running during pregnancy, take up walking, or head to the pool, fitting in some stretching is advisable in order to keep muscles and tendons strong, relaxed, and limber throughout pregnancy and into your post-partum phase. Even if it’s just some straightforward hamstring and calf stretches at the end of a walk, fit some time into your schedule to stay flexible.
Barre Exercises
Labor and delivery can often require things of a woman’s body that she rarely does, which is why barre exercises can be so very helpful when a women is pregnant. The lower back and the hip flexors are stretched and engaged in a barre class, and the inner and outer thigh muscles are as well. Strengthening these areas of the body helps a woman maintain better balance and posture throughout her pregnancy, which will greatly aid her when it comes time to deliver her baby.
Spinning
A spin class is great exercise for everyone, but it’s especially helpful for pregnant women. Activating your hip joints within a safe range of motion will keep you flexible and strong and injury-free. Few pregnant women lead regularly active lives, which can cause hips and hip flexors to constrict, which in turn, causes your pelvis to come forward. When you get on a bicycle, your hips and hip flexors are forced to work, which keeps them limber and strong. You’ll also be strengthening your heart, lungs, and legs, and burning calories to keep your weight in a healthy range.
Getting enough exercise while pregnant can seem daunting — especially if you’ve never exercised before or if the exercise you used to do is difficult to continue while pregnant. From swimming to walking, however, there are a host of options that will keep you healthy and strong throughout your pregnancy, delivery and beyond.
