Pregnancy Exercise Routines

A pregnancy can throw a wrench into your fitness plans if you are an active person. However, you can stay fit and healthy while exercising by deciding on an exercise routine that accommodates your growing belly and some of the aches and pains that can accompany it.

Speak to your doctor to make sure that you are healthy enough for activity, and once you are cleared, choose one of these exercise routines to suit your needs.

 

Swimming

Swimming is an ideal exercise routine for pregnancy. The water helps you feel weightless, while cushioning your body and keeping it safe. You can go down to your local public pool and swim laps, or you could enroll in a water aerobics class in order to work your heart rate while still keeping your body comfortable.

Contact your local YMCA to enroll in classes. You can use swimming as an exercise routine up until you give birth, so don’t worry about when to stop.

 

Yoga

Prenatal yoga is a great way to stretch those sore muscles and meditate and relax. Find a yoga teacher or class that teaches especially to women who are pregnant, and who avoid certain poses that pregnant women should avoid, including those that cause you to lay on your back.

Also, avoid those poses that cause you to lay on your stomach or use extreme balance, such as the crane pose, as you might find your balance is off with the new weight distribution and it could cause you to fall. Look for a DVD at your local library that you can try at home if you can’t find a class that teaches prenatal yoga.

 

Weight Training

Proceed with caution when weight training. Weight training is safe for pregnant women, but you’ll need to modify your normal routine in order to be safe. Never attempt a weight training routine that causes you to lay on the floor and lift weights.

Instead, try lifting weights on a chair or on a bench, so that you can properly support your back and growing belly. Pregnancy is not the time to try lifting heavier weights. Instead, stick with those that you are comfortable with. Always choose a lighter weight and more reps instead of fewer reps with a heavier weight. Properly perform any exercise to reduce stress on your body.

 

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