Low Risk Exercise for Pregnant Woman

Prenatal Exercises

<b>Walking:</b> Walking is a wonderful workout that you can do virtually everywhere. Be sure you get comfortable walking shoes and that you use good posture to keep your spine straight. Begin with a 5-10 minute warm-up then stretch and resume your walk. Remember to stretch afterwards to reduce soreness. Try to walk for a minimum of 30 min. per day, 3 to 5 days each week.

<b>Swimming:</b> This can be one of the most relaxing exercises for pregnant women. Your risk of injury is very low as well. Swimming takes pressure off your joints with that light feeling of being in the pool. Swimming gives you a good cardio workout using your large muscle groups. There's also a low risk of injury during swimming, however, be cautious that you don't slip and fall while walking near the pool. Activities you can do while in the water are shallow-water walking, water aerobics, deep-water running and swimming. Join a water aerobics class or simply swim 20 min. each day for 3 to 6 days each week. Don't forget to avoid hot tubs and saunas as they can raise your temperature to a dangerously high level and injure your baby.

<b>Running</b>: If you were a jogger before becoming pregnant, you may continue to do so. However, use common sense. If you feel tired, slow down or walk. Do not overexert yourself. As you get farther along in your pregnancy, you ought to cut back a little. If any problem occurs, it's likely that your caregiver will have you stop running for the rest of your pregnancy. Always consult your practitioner before beginning.

<b>Low impact aerobics:</b> Low impact aerobics is safe to continue doing when you become pregnant. Don't do jumps or high kicks (these aren't typically done in low-impact aerobics anyway). Adjust the exercises if you feel the need to. You can always slow down your workout by going at half speed. You might think about joining a low impact aerobics class at your local gym or obtain an aerobics video and workout at home.

</b>Bicycling and spinning:</b> Be careful when bicycling or spinning. You're more susceptible to falls now that your center of gravity is shifting. Steer clear of rough terrain when you go biking. As your abdomen grows larger, you'll probably have a difficult time reaching the handlebars. During your 3rd trimester the bike seat will become pretty uncomfortable. Remember to never overwork yourself. Take breaks as needed. If you participate in a spinning class, lower the tension and slow it down if you feel you are working too hard.

<b>Pilates:</b> Pilates toughens your whole body(particularly your abdominals, pelvic muscles and back which may aid you in labor), increases flexibility and increases your body awareness. It's okay to do pilates when you're pregnant. Some gyms have prenatal Pilates classes or you can just purchase prenatal Pilates videos to workout at home. You can attend regular Pilates classes, just don't forget to stay away from movements that compress your neck.

<b>Yoga:</b> The focus of Yoga is techniques to help you relax and breath. These techniques could help you breath properly through labor pains. You can participate in Yoga classes throughout your whole pregnancy. However, you will want to refrain from doing poses that require you to lie flat on your back or inverted poses. Just like Pilates, your local gym may have prenatal yoga classes or you can find exercise videos for pregnant women to workout at home.

NOTE: Use of this article requires links to be intact.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com