Antenatal Exercises

Antenatal Exercises

“Exercising strengthens muscles and prepares a pregnant woman for childbirth”

Just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean that you can stop exercising. Contrary to

popular belief, exercising helps you to build and strengthen muscles and prepares a

pregnant woman for childbirth. So pull out your most comfortable clothes and get started.

Exercise caution while working out as overexerting oneself while pregnant can be harmful

for the baby.

Various Benefits Of Antenatal Exercises:

It improves the circulation in both mother and child

It helps reduces pains experienced during pregnancy like cramps and back ache

It improves stamina and helps increase energy to meet the growing demands of the

body

It helps you to control weight gain

It also reduces stiffness in muscles, swellings, aches and pains

It increases circulation and thus decreases swelling of varicose veins

It is good for overall wellbeing of mother and child

Here are a few recommended exercises for pregnant women to follow:

Walking:

Walking is a good cardiovascular exercise and is one of the best exercises for pregnant

women as this does not put much pressure on knees and ankles. You can walk all through

nine months and it fits into your schedule easily.

Jogging:

Running or jogging is the quickest exercise to work up your body and heart. A 15 minute jog

is also a good exercise and depending on your schedule you can extend your run to 30

minutes also.

Swimming:

It is considered as the safest exercise for pregnant women by many fitness experts. It

concentrates on large muscle groups like arms and legs and is a good cardio exercise. It also

makes pregnant women feel weightless even with the added extra weight.

Yoga:

With all those postures and stretching, yoga helps you to maintain muscle tone and makes

your body flexible. However, keep in mind not to overdo stretching and don’t hold the

postures for longer duration as it is not healthy.

Pilates:

Another great exercise to strengthen muscles and body balance, Pilates is a good way to

strengthen your muscles. It improves circulation, flexibility, body balance and strengthens

muscle core. Remember not to overdo the exercises.

Things To remember:

Always wear loose fitting clothes or clothes that you are comfortable in.

Drink lots of water before and after exercising

Stop immediately if you experience pain while working out

Always avoid overdoing exercise

Keep moving. Standing motionless at a spot may decrease the blood flow and may

make you feel dizzy

So gear up yourself and start exercising today. Choose the one which you are most

comfortable with and enjoy your workout. Apollo Cradle’s women’s health division can help

you find the perfect antenatal exercises that work for you and the baby.

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