Pregnancy is the time when a woman’s body undergoes many changes, preparing for the load that childbirth represents. A myth is circulated among the people, according to which it is best to lie down and do nothing during this period, occasionally getting out to the park for a walk, but the practice and opinion of the doctors speak differently.
Activity is beneficial for a pregnant woman. Performing a set of exercises for pregnant women at home can saturate the blood with oxygen, maintain muscle tone, reduce the likelihood of developing varicose veins, toxicosis and back problems, as well as learn how to breathe.
Exercises for pregnant women at home: the basic rules
Before moving on to training, you need to decide if contraindications to motor activity. Among them:
• infections and inflammations;
• elevated temperature;
• kidney and heart disease;
• severe toxicosis, which impedes movement;
• low levels of iron in the blood;
• the probability established by the doctor of the termination of pregnancy;
• past problems with bearing a child
Besides, classes should be stopped immediately if:
• there is pain in the abdomen of any severity;
• bloody discharge from the vagina appears - during classes or after.
Caution to do exercises for pregnant women at home should be for women who have shown an ultrasound scan of multiple pregnancy.
During classes, you must adhere to certain rules:
• perform all exercises slowly, smoothly, without overloading the body;
• alternate relaxation exercises with exercises that require effort;
• do not do any abdominal exercises, do not run, do not make sudden movements;
• lean only half and carefully;
• do all stretching exercises as smoothly as possible and, if pain occurs, stop immediately - during pregnancy, the ligaments become especially fragile.
For home exercises you can add moderate physical activity in the fresh air - to walk in the park for an hour a day - and a visit to the pool or yoga for pregnant women.
Exercise for pregnant women: 1 trimester
The first months of pregnancy usually go through the most difficult. The woman has not yet had a tummy, but you can already see the manifestations of toxicosis, hormonal levels and eating habits begin to change.
The embryo in this period is the most vulnerable - the formation of the most basic structures of his body is underway, therefore, an incorrect approach to performing exercises for pregnant women in the 1st trimester can cause him irreparable harm. It is necessary to refrain from heavy loads and in the process of training to check the pulse. If it rises above 120, you need to switch to relaxing, calm exercises so that the heart calms down, the blood is saturated again with blood and the threat of fetal hypoxia is over.
During this period, you can’t work with dumbbells, but you can perform a simple set of exercises every morning:
• Breath. Stand up straight, hands freely lower along the body. Take a deep breath, trying to feel how the air fills the lungs and the chest opens. Breathe out slowly. Repeat 10 times.
• Walking on the spot. Walk for a minute in place, then walk for half a minute on toes.
• Cross climbs. Straighten up, spread your arms. After exhaling, bend the left leg and raise it as far as possible. Raise your right arm vertically at the same time. Repeat on the other side.
• Light bridge. Straighten up, grab your hands behind your back. As you exhale, bend forward, slowly return. Repeat.
• Pressure. Straighten up, clasp your hands in front of you. On the exhale, pull them forward as far as possible, making an effort not to bend. Relax. Repeat
• Cat. Get on all fours. On exhalation, bend your back like an angry cat, lower your head between your hands, slightly tighten the muscles. On inspiration, bend your back, like a flaming cat, also strain slightly. Repeat 5-10 times.
• Sipping. Get on all fours. Raise your right hand, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat the same with the left arm and legs.
• Difficult bridge. Lie on your back, rest your feet on the floor, put your hands exactly along the body. On the exhale, lift the buttocks, bend the lower back, linger for a few seconds. Repeat 5-7 times.
• Squats. Hold the back of the chair tightly, squat, holding on to it. Feet should be firmly on the floor, squats should not be too deep.
• Spins. Stand straight, put your hands on your belt. Gently move your hips in a circle, trying to leave the rest of the body motionless.
Exercises for pregnant women - 1 trimester - should not be too tiring. You can perform them for 15-20 minutes, after breakfast. If shortness of breath begins, the state of health worsens, pain appears - the complex should be stopped immediately.
Exercise for pregnant women: 2 trimester
Exercises for pregnant women - 2 trimester - are designed in no case not to lose weight, but to maintain muscle tone. During this period, the woman becomes clumsy, the stomach begins to stand out, although not yet too noticeably. The center of gravity shifts, so you should refrain from the slats that require you to maintain balance. You should also minimize the number of exercises in which you need to lie down on your back, since this position helps to block one of the main veins, which means oxygen starvation of the child.
You can perform the following complex:
• Pendulum. Stand straight, raise your arms above your head, join your palms. On the exhale, stretch up, rise on your toes, move your hips to the right, left. Stand back in full foot, take a deep breath and exhale, repeat.
• Twists and turns. Sit on the floor, legs crossed. Straighten your back, slightly raise your chin. As you exhale, make turns - first try to touch the shoulder with your chin. Then join hands in the lock in front of the chest and make smooth turns of the body to the right and left.
• Pressure. Sit on the floor, legs crossed. Put your palms on one another in front of the chest, press with force, changing hands and not leaning forward.
• Mermaid. Sit on the floor, turn on your side, bend your legs, with one hand rest against the floor. Raise the other hand and gently lower it. Repeat 10 times on each side.
• Wing. Lie down on the floor, bend your legs, put one hand under your head, raise the other and, turning the body after it, bring it back as much as possible. Repeat 10 times.
• Warrior. Get up straight, grab the back of a chair. Squat so that part of the leg from the knee to the thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep position for several seconds, slowly straighten.
• Scarf. Sit on a chair, stretch your legs in front of you, put a scarf made of soft fabric on the floor. Toes toe over it, pulling to yourself and getting from one end to the other. Repeat on the other leg.
• Breath. Sit on the floor, legs crossed. Put one hand on the stomach, the second under the chest. Take slow breaths with your nose and exhale with your mouth, making sure that only the rib cage rises when you inhale. After several repetitions, change tactics and begin to make sure that only the stomach rises.
• Stretching. Sit on the floor, on your heels. Slowly bend forward until the abdomen rests on the hips and palms do not touch the floor. Hold in pose for a few seconds, slowly straighten up.
Perform exercises for pregnant women in the 2nd trimester should be in the bandage - this will help not overstrain the back and not harm the baby in the stomach.
Exercises for pregnant women: 3 trimester
Exercises for pregnant women in the 3rd trimester become even more sparing. It is unacceptable to lie on your back or side, to perform complexes that require heavy loads. It will be ideal to do it easily and smoothly, after breakfast, in your own apartment, so that you can always rest, lie down, and if necessary, drink water.
The complex may include the following exercises:
• Squats Get up straight, grab the back of a chair, squat slowly, smoothly, shallowly, without lifting your heels off the floor.
• Butterfly. Sit on the floor, connect the feet and spread the hips as wide as possible. Knees should ideally touch the floor. Breathe smoothly, calmly, controlling the process.
• Twisting. Sit in the previous position, slowly rotate the body in one direction and the other.
Exercises for pregnant women in the 3rd trimester are good to perform using fitball - it is less likely to damage anything:
• Spin on the ball. Sit on the ball with legs wide apart. Cross your arms over your chest. Slowly rotate the hips first in one direction, then in the other direction.
• Pendulum on the ball. Sit on the ball, arms crossed on his chest, legs shoulder width apart. Slowly and smoothly deflect the hips left and right, avoiding loss of balance.
• Riding a ball. Lie on the ball (only if the pose does not cause discomfort), bend your legs, straighten, repeat again. The main thing is smoothness and control.
• Ball Turns. Sit on the ball, spread your legs shoulder width apart. Turn by touching the right knee with the left hand from the outside and vice versa.
• Ball riding. Get on your feet, spread them shoulder-width apart, bend down and rest your hands on the ball. Ride it a little in different directions.
• Dumbbells. Sit on a ball, pick up dumbbells (no heavier than a kilogram), spread them by lifting them shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your arms alternately.
Do not forget about breathing exercises - they can help a lot when the time comes to give birth. The simplest of them is "Mountain". For him, you need to stand up straight, put your feet together, put one palm on your stomach, the other on your chest and breathe, controlling the process.
If everything is done correctly and the woman remained active throughout her pregnancy, childbirth will be easier and recovery after them will take less time.
