7 Finest Pregnancy Exercise for Shorter Labor
Of all the exercises a woman can execute, pregancy exercise is the most challenging.
Even though most of pregnant women do not meet minimum exercise recommendation, the number of physically active women who wish to continue training during their preganacy increases.
And with proper attention and risk stratification, exercise during pregnancy is like a cheat code that give safety for you and the foetus. It works execellently in reducing the rate of Cesarean section, enhancing appropriate fetal and maternal weight gain, and managing gestational diabetes. Plus, exercise is the key to a strong back which support all the weight you`re gaining infront.
But no two pregnancies are the same.
So you might be wondering:
How do you personally exercise to get fit during pregnancy and have a normal delivery?
As much as workout should keep you healthy and strong during pregnancy, the process should also be fun.
And when you exercise during pregnancy, you`ll likely have a sweet reward at the end. You`ll have a shorter labor.
Let`s start with the basics.
1. Swim, Swim and Swim
Swimming is an excellent low-mpact form of aerobic exercise (cardio). It`s a neat way to strengthen your heart and keep a seamless blood flow.
During pregnancy, your blood volume almost doubles up to meet the requirement of your body to help the growth and development of your baby. Therefore, an excellent blood flow enhances oxygen supply.
Moreover, swimming counteracts back strain which arises from the growing belly.
2. Be a Yoga Mom
Yoga is very beneficial during pregnancy, as long as long as you take certain precautions.
Yoga poses give stamina to hips, arms, and back. Such positioning crafts an astounding posture that prepares you for labor.
Beside, Yoga helps you breath and relax which further helps you adjust to the physical demand of pregnancy, labor, birth, and motherhood.
3. Perform Pelvic Floor Exercise
This is a simple exercise yet very significant. It involves the pelvic floor muscle and aims at strengthening it to ease the delivery process. However, you have first to identify the right muscle.
Pelvic floor muscle is that muscle you use to stop urination.
Identify the muscle(you can do it now). Once you get it, tighten the muscle for 5 seconds, then relax it for five seconds. Now maintain the focus and repeat this 10 times for the best result.
For far much better results, perform 3 set of tens a day. You can do this exercise in any position. However, don`t hold your breath when doing this exercise.
4. Take walks
Walking is a great, safe exercise for moms-to-be.
Brisk walking strengthens heart`s muscle and lungs without jarring your knees and ankles. Besides, walking reduces the risk of miscarriage and shortens labor.
If you walked regularly before pregnancy, keep doing it. If you`re not very fit, start with a 15-minutes walk, thrice a week.
5. Do Some Stretching too
Stretching increases blood circulation in your body. During pregnancy, you not only add weight but blood as well — your body demands for more efficient supply of blood. Stretching your muscle helps you meet this new demand.
Furthermore, stretching complements your workout.
6. Perform Stationary Cycling
When you cycle while your body is upright, your abdominal muscle and core muscle strengthens. Such exercise makes you more flexible and develops good joint mobility. Therefore, stationary cycling offers you different birth positions. Even better, you`ll heal faster after birth.
7. Jog in moderation
As your pregnancy grows, your weight grows. A need of a correct balance arises. Monitoring your jogging strengthens your lower body muscle, giving you more stability and a good posture.
These are 7 pregnacy exercise. But by no mean does it mean a complete list. But educate yourself on do and don`ts so that you may not be scared of what to exercise. More than not, if a workout feels wrong (meaning uncomfortable unsafe, or too challenging), it probably is. You need to listen to your body.
Always don`t go breathless (always be able to talk out loudly ), avoid twisting, and stop doing crunches after week 20.
