A set of exercises that will allow pregnant women to remain in good shape throughout the entire period will reduce the likelihood of swelling of the limbs, cramps, as well as physical and emotional fatigue.
How beneficial is exercise for pregnant women? Is exercise dangerous for pregnant women? If you think that a pregnant woman should stay in bed for the entire 9 months, you are wrong! It's good for her and she needs to train! Read this article and you will learn what kind of results pregnant women can achieve through exercise, what is the best workout for pregnant women and how often should pregnant women exercise?
Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Exercising during pregnancy has many benefits for both mother and baby. It is very important that doctors approve exercise during pregnancy. After all, doctors usually think that it is not a good idea for a pregnant woman to work out in the gym.
You can do exercises during pregnancy only if the expectant mother did them before pregnancy. Exercise should be stopped if you experience bloody discharge or any leakage of fluid from the vagina, sudden swelling of the extremities, severe headache, dizziness, or swelling and pain in the calf. High-risk exercises should be avoided.
Changes in the body during pregnancy
Cardiovascular changes
Pregnancy involves a wide variety of physiological changes. The cardiovascular system is subject to extreme stress. Blood volume increases by 40-50%, cardiac output increases by 30-50%, stroke volume increases by 40%.
During the first few weeks of pregnancy, the heart rate (HR) increases by 8 beats per minute, at 32 weeks - up to 20 beats per minute, oxygen consumption increases by 10-20%. In the 2nd or 3rd trimester, the maximum performance of a pregnant woman’s heart decreases by 20-25%.
Hormonal and metabolic changes
During pregnancy, changes occur in the levels of progesterone, relaxin and estrogen. Changes in these hormones cause the uterus as well as breast tissue to grow. There is also a decrease in smooth muscle tone. Hormonal changes cause the ligaments around the joints to soften. This is most noticeable in the lumbosacral and pelvic regions.
Hormonal changes usually cause nausea, vomiting and decreased appetite. This usually occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Due to metabolic changes, pregnant women should consume over 3000 kcal per day.
Changes in the musculoskeletal system
The average weight gain for women during pregnancy is 12 kg. Excess weight causes changes in posture. These in turn create muscle imbalances. The abdominal wall is stretched. The lumbar muscles of the spine shorten, and the upper back muscles become long and weak. The front muscles of the chest and shoulders become really tight. As the baby's head moves forward, muscle activity in the back of the cervix increases.
All this suggests that exercise for pregnant women can bring incomparable benefits and help the expectant mother get into shape faster after childbirth.
Warnings
Pregnant women should not perform squats because they may cause the placenta to separate from the uterus. Make sure you only use light weights. In addition, you should not perform sudden movements; pregnant women should do each exercise slowly and correctly. Remember to breathe while doing exercises to ensure your child gets enough oxygen. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially before and after exercise. Choose healthy foods and try to eat 4-5 small meals a day.
Prohibited exercise techniques in the second trimester
During pregnancy, including in its second trimester, the following types of physical activity are prohibited:
- abdominal exercises;
Abdominal exercises - serious physical activity - jumping;
- strength exercises (with lifting heavy equipment);
Strength exercises are dangerous during pregnancy - team sports games;
- run.
Performing exercises that are prohibited during pregnancy can cause irreparable harm to the health of the expectant mother and also endanger the life of the fetus.
The benefits of exercise for pregnant women
Through prenatal exercises, expectant mothers can maintain or improve their cardiovascular health, as well as muscle strength and flexibility. They may also experience fewer prenatal discomforts such as constipation, swollen limbs, cramps, nausea, varicose veins, insomnia, fatigue, back pain and other orthopedic conditions.
Women can improve their posture along with body biomechanics, increase energy levels and increase blood circulation. Exercising during pregnancy is beneficial, but women should maintain a lower resting heart rate.
With regular exercise, pregnant women experience a significant reduction in weight gain. The number of birth problems is significantly reduced: the risk of caesarean section is reduced by 75% and maternal exhaustion by 75%. There is a 50% reduction in the need to use oxytocin (which helps induce labor).
Studies have shown that with regular exercise, pregnant women experience a 30% reduction in active labor time. And after giving birth, fewer cases of postpartum depression occur during recovery.
Who shouldn't exercise during pregnancy?
If you have health problems such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes, exercise may not be advisable or even harmful. Loads can also be harmful if you have at least one of the following abnormalities:
- Bleeding or spotting
- Low placentation
- Risk of miscarriage
- Previous preterm birth or history of early birth
- Weak cervix
Consult your doctor before starting an exercise program. He will give individual recommendations based on the characteristics of your body.
Physical education for pregnant women
The program includes light weight training along with cardio training. Work all major body parts except the abdominal muscles and lower back muscles. It may not be safe to train these two muscle groups during pregnancy.
The goal of training for pregnant women is not to gain weight, but to stay in shape, so use only light weights. Avoid heavy things, because in the end you can harm yourself and your child. Perform each pregnancy exercise in 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Rest periods should be fairly short - within 2-3 minutes.
Many pregnant women experience back pain, mainly because the 12-15 kg of weight gained during pregnancy is mostly distributed around the abdominal area.
This causes women's center of gravity to move forward, resulting in greater curvature in the lower spine. The solution to this problem lies in stretching. Light stretching should be done after warming up, especially if you want to prevent back pain.
Along with strength training, there is cardio training and this is a really great exercise for pregnant women. One of the best cardiovascular activities for a pregnant woman can be swimming. It will strengthen the heart and also improve the delivery of oxygen to the muscles.
Swimming is good for your shoulders and abdominal muscles, which can lower high blood pressure and improve joint mobility.
Swimming is one of the most enjoyable cardiovascular exercises, but when it comes to relaxation exercises for pregnant women, yoga still ranks number one. Yoga is very relaxing, and in general it is very useful for pregnant women. Yoga can help you prepare your mind and body for one of the most exciting times of pregnancy - labor and birth.
Recommendations for doing gymnastics
Pregnancy is a crucial period in a woman’s life. At this time, the expectant mother is obliged to closely monitor her health. And therefore, even in the absence of contraindications to sports and in good health, pregnant women must adhere to some recommendations:
- wear sports underwear, comfortable “breathable” clothing and a bandage;
- measure your pulse and do not ignore symptoms of deterioration in health (dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, abdominal pain, etc.);
- rest between exercises, not allowing the body to become overtired and overexerted;
- do gymnastics under the supervision of a trainer (at least in the initial stages of classes);
- do not perform exercises that cause discomfort.
Following these simple rules helps to avoid many serious health problems that arise due to an incorrect approach to physical activity.
Training frequency for pregnant women
Pregnant women should exercise 5 days a week, with 3 days of light weight training, 1 day of cardio, and 1 day of yoga. The training program we offer excludes weekends, so you can relax and spend time as you want. Every 2 or 3 months it is recommended to take a week off.
Note: Studies have shown that women who exercise 5 days a week give birth to lighter babies. The only reason they had lower birth weight was because they had less subcutaneous fat than others. After 5 years, these children were no different from those born at the same time to non-athletic mothers.
Also make sure you change up your pregnancy exercise program slightly every few weeks or months. Talk to your doctor as often as possible to make sure you are in good health. Keep a training diary and show it to your doctor to make sure you are doing the right thing.
Write down your training program and diet in a notebook. Include the times you arrived and left the gym and all exercises performed along with the number of sets and repetitions. In your diet plan, write down everything you eat, the number of meals, the number of calories, and the amount of fat, carbohydrates, and protein for each meal.
Do this daily and when you have your baby and look at all you have accomplished, you will be amazed and proud of your accomplishments!
Reviews about gymnastics in the second trimester
I worked out right before giving birth. Special gymnastics for pregnant women. There you had to actively jump on a large fitness ball. So I jumped. I felt better and was active. I even walked to the 9th floor at 9 months.
Anna
https://deti.mail.ru/forum/v_ozhidanii_chuda/beremennost/fitnes_vo_vremja_beremennosti_1498467208/
I did gymnastics for pregnant women, sometimes 2 times a day until the birth. At 22 weeks we went to the sea, climbed rocks, walked, and rode horses. After the sea I absolutely didn’t want to go to the pool, so I just did gymnastics. I must say that I stretched out well, almost doing the splits.
NewNola
https://www.u-mama.ru/forum/waiting-baby/pregnancy-and-childbirth/370676/
I did fitness for pregnant women, but in general, look at how I feel, I was at risk until 15 weeks, I started working out when I was 20, because... My lower back and back started hurting, it helped! But at 30 weeks I stopped working out, because I already feel heavy, and the tone is sometimes present! Of course, the classes should be different from the usual ones, there are special complexes!
Tanya
https://www.baby.ru/community/view/22562/forum/post/189064591/
Prenatal training for pregnant women
There is no one workout that suits everyone. Training should be individual for each pregnant woman. Women should train at a comfort level, which should be between 5 and 8 on the 10-level RTS (Subjective Perceived Tension) scale. Over time, you will need to exercise less to achieve the same level of RPE.
Training to the point of exhaustion should always be avoided. The duration of training should be determined by its intensity. Thus, if the intensity increases, the duration should decrease. Workouts consisting of cardio exercises for pregnant women should last no more than 45 minutes.
In the 3rd trimester, fetal nutrition and energy balance are very important. If you burn more calories during exercise, you need to consume more calories to help balance your energy levels. Eating actively in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy can be difficult as the stomach becomes smaller and there is a risk of heartburn.
It is important to respond quickly to any muscle imbalance caused by pregnancy. It can lead to discomfort, pain or even injury. The most important muscles to strengthen are the scapular contractile muscles, the abdominal muscles, and the pelvic diaphragm. The transverse abdominal muscles should first be trained in isolation and then integrated into other exercises for pregnant women.
A strong pelvic diaphragm will help improve control and rest during labor. These five layers of muscle and fascia attach to the pelvis. They support internal organs and affect the bladder, bowel and sexual function. Kegel exercises are a great way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction is a common problem.
Unfortunately, this is a fairly common problem that can be identified not only in pregnant women, but also before its onset. Obvious signs of incompetence will be: • frequent urination, a feeling of an incompletely emptied bladder. Some women note that after just a couple of minutes they want to go to the toilet again; • queefing – the entry of air into the vaginal canal after sexual intercourse, with a corresponding sound after or during its completion; • incontinence and urine leakage during exercise, laughing, coughing or sneezing; • irregular bowel movements, feeling of incomplete bowel movement; • pain in the perineum after sexual intercourse; • dissatisfaction with sex life.
If such symptoms were noted before pregnancy, the help of a specialist is necessary. Exercise will help get rid of complications, and childbirth will be easier.
What do you need to practice on the ball at home?
The greatest benefit will come from practicing on a ball that is correctly sized . This is necessary so that the angle between the thighs and shins of a pregnant woman sitting on a fitball is 90º.
The diameter of the ball is determined by a simple formula:
woman's height in centimeters minus 100 = ball diameter
So, with the growth of the expectant mother at 165-170 cm, the diameter of the sports equipment is 65 cm.
General recommendations for conducting exercises on fitball are as follows::
- You should train 2-3 times a week. At first, the duration of the lesson should be 10-15 minutes. Further, as you train, the time can be gradually increased, bringing it to 30 minutes.
- You need to exercise in sports shoes or barefoot so that your feet do not slip.
- Before the main exercises on a fitball, it is useful to do a short warm-up.
- At first, it is not necessary to do all the exercises in the complex. Do the ones that seem easiest first. As the body gets into the training mode, you can do all the exercises, increasing the time for each.
Video
And now you can look at all this more carefully in this video.
All the exercises, at first glance, are easy and simple, but if you do them honestly every (every!) day the recommended number of times, then in 280 days of pregnancy you can greatly strengthen all organs, prepare for childbirth and for further postpartum life, which will be include a lot of things - joy, sleepless nights, snot, tears, and concern for your beauty. And beauty is, first of all, health, and gymnastics will help you a lot with this.
Write, what did you do during pregnancy in terms of physical fitness? Did you like it all? Have you observed the effect of the classes? Did it help during childbirth? We are interested in absolutely everything.
Adviсe
A few points that are important to pay attention to when doing a workout for pregnant women in the gym:
- Drinking water. Adequate fluid intake before, during and after exercise is important. The best option is water at room temperature without gas.
- Breath. It is also important to pay great attention to how you breathe during exercise: exhaling should be done at the most difficult stage, inhaling at a simpler stage.
- Body temperature. It increases during the lesson, which can adversely affect the condition of the unborn child. The body temperature during training should not be higher than 38 degrees, so they should not take place in overly warm and damp rooms, and there is no need to dress warmly.
