Main exercises for pregnant women

Before getting to the heart of the matter, it would be convenient to clarify some points, since one thing is to be able to exercise and another is to go for a run, jump rope or do crossfit. No, we should not do something crazy because we put the baby’s widow and ours at risk, hence we are going to give some brief advice.

Tips for exercising in pregnancy

As we have already advanced, pregnant women have to be very careful with the trimester in which they are, physical activity, intensity, time, clothing, hydration, where they train, etc.

• The duration of the training should not exceed 30 minutes.
• Put yourself in the hands of a specialist who knows what exercises are good for pregnant women.
• Consult with our doctor if this exercise routine is suitable or not for our specific case.
• Before exercise we will have to hydrate well, and that implies drinking fluids and having a correct diet.
• Do not over exert yourself.
• Exercises that work the abdominal area must be discarded.
• Avoid exercises that cause an overload on the back, since it should always be good to carry the pregnancy to the end in the best way.

So, in summary, it is best to put yourself in the hands of a professional , since the stakes are high, be well hydrated and not want to overdo it. Overexertion is dangerous, especially when pregnant. The good thing about sport at this stage of our life is that, if we practice it before we are on the treadmill, we will already have that habit and we will have an adapted body.

If, on the contrary, our life was somewhat sedentary, it is best to start very little by little, since having a more or less dynamic exercise routine will help us lose our fear of pregnancy and be able to move naturally and safely.

Exercises prohibited during pregnancy

Pregnant women have a series of prohibited exercises, in fact it is enough to put a little common sense into the matter, but it would be better to clarify some prohibited exercises and thus there are no confusion when carrying out our physical activity routine.

• All weather jumps are prohibited.
• Bouncing, pushing and sudden movements are totally prohibited.
• Efforts from the ground are a great risk.
• Everything that is related to the abdominal area, we also remove it from training.
• Strikes and struggles.
• Skate, in all its variants.
• Water sports that involve falls and bumps.
• Run many kilometers maintaining a high intensity.
• Sports that involve changes in altitude.
• Excessive stretching.
• Not controlling breathing properly.
• Lying on your back for a long time.
• Holding your breath, this is strictly prohibited because it affects the fetus directly.
• Exercises of staying still for a long period of time, as this can impede blood flow.
• Strength and endurance exercises.
• Riding a bicycle beyond the fifth month of pregnancy.

Exercises for pregnant women by trimester

The life of a pregnant woman is divided into 3 trimesters, the first being the hardest in terms of colic, dizziness, fatigue, hormonal changes and others, the second being the lightest and the third becoming a race against time where sleeping is just a dream of a past life.

First trimester

It is recommended to do cardiovascular exercises of light or very light intensity, but keeping the body active almost daily. In these first weeks of pregnancy you can perform light exercises that activate the heart such as walking, elliptical, cycling, mild aquayoga, aquagym, light squats and without weight , light exercises for quadriceps or back, etc.

Everything that is eating well, staying active without effort, having proper hygiene and a good rest, will be good for pregnancy. Remember that sleeping on your back is prohibited during the first trimester, as it causes sciatica and even fetal death.

Second quarter

Here things are starting to get serious, hopefully we will have said goodbye to nausea and our life is returning to normal. Here we can increase the intensity in the exercises a little, but not much, since now the size of the belly makes many tasks difficult for us.

Swimming is one of the best exercises in these weeks of pregnancy, since we relax the muscles of the back and the whole body, when entering the water. In addition, it is a very complete sport that helps us move all the muscles of the body to be able to move.

It is time to begin to become familiar with Pilates and yoga and more specifically with fitball, since it will be our best ally until the last day of this adventure as pregnant.

Third trimester

It is the hardest, especially in recent weeks, where you can hardly sleep 3 hours in a row and if it is in summer, worse.

On these dates, it is best to put yourself in the hands of a physiotherapist who will tell us, help us and accompany us in the exercise routines. Here we can put some objects such as elastic bands or the fitball that does not leave us.

It is in these last weeks when we have to improve mobility, prepare the body for childbirth, improve our posture, practice abdominal-diaphragmatic breaths , improve lumbo-pelvic mobility, strengthen thoracic mobility, perform dilation postures and have them help us to release tension, control and tone the pelvic floor, etc.

There are many details and that is why we recommend putting ourselves in the best hands, since the recovery of our body, the delivery with all that it implies and the life of our child or children is at stake. But always under the authorization of our doctor and, in case of doubt, seek other medical opinions.