Want a Healthy Pregnancy? Do 6 Simple & Easy Pregnancy Exercises at Home

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Want a Healthy Pregnancy? Do 6 Simple & Easy Pregnancy Exercises at Home

Tejal Surve 02-09-2022

During pregnancy, many women worry about their baby’s health. This is not without cause as maternal and fetal health are connected. This is why pregnant women need to stay physically and mentally fit during their pregnancy. There are many ways to stay healthy during pregnancy but exercising is the most effective.

We understand that a lot of pregnant women can’t go to the gym or they don’t feel comfortable exercising there. Exercising isn’t limited to the gym, so we’ll tell you about Pregnancy exercises you can do at home. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, exercising for 30 minutes is advised during normal pregnancies.

Before we get into how pregnant women benefit from working out, we’ll give you 6 pregnancy exercises to do at home.

Do these Yoga Poses and Pregnancy Exercises at Home

Pregnancy exercises are crucial for you and the baby’s health. Even if you didn’t work out before the pregnancy, you can start now. The pregnancy exercises listed below can be done by regular gym members and newbies as well. Avoid intense pregnancy workouts or training during this time.

1. Belly Breathing

While regular breathing is shallow, belly breathing is deep, and It will help to fully engage your lungs. Deep breathing exercises will help you build control over your breathing which is essential during the labor process.

Sit comfortably with your legs crossed

Close your eyes and relax all the muscles in your body

Then put one hand on top of your belly and one below it

Now take a deep breath from your abdomen while counting to 5

Release the breath while counting to 5

Do this continuously for 10 minutes

2. Warrior Pose - Yoga

The warrior pose will open up your hips as well as strengthen the muscles in your legs. You can do this regularly from the beginning of your pregnancy until the end. It can become hard for some women to do this in the third trimester.

Place your feet at a wide distance

Inhale while slowly raising your arms to shoulder-height

Make sure that you relax your shoulders

When you exhale, position your front leg at 90 degrees and the back leg at 45 degrees

Now inhale while bending your front knee and look over your hand.

Hold this for 15-20 seconds and then straighten up

Repeat this on the other side

Do this exercise 3-5 times

3. Kegel

Kegel exercises are simple but very effective in strengthening the pelvic muscles. This exercise is useful to build up your pelvic floor strength which you’ll be using during the delivery.

Get into a comfortable position (kneel on all fours, lie down on your back, sit)

Now relax and focus on the muscles you use to stop urine (don’t do this on a full bladder)

When you’ve located the right muscles, pull up and squeeze while counting to 5

Then gently release the muscles counting to 5

Repeat this process 10 to 15 times.

Remember to relax between each set

4. Cat-Cow Pose - Yoga

During pregnancy, as the baby bump increases so does the pressure on your spine. This can make your spine rigid and give you intense backaches. Doing a cat-cow yoga pose will help you keep your spine flexible and also reduce some of the back pain.

Start by getting onto your hands and knees

Then move your pelvis forward to create an arch

Now move your pelvis backward to release the arch

These two poses should be held for 30 seconds to one minute (based on your comfort)

If at any moment you feel your wrists start hurting, then use your forearms while doing the exercise

5. Squatting

Squatting is an exercise you can do during pregnancy that widens the pelvis to prepare for labor. Don’t do this exercise if you have a low-lying placenta.

Stand while keeping your feet wider than your hips

Now slowly lower yourself to a sitting position (high or low is up to you)

Hold the pose for 5 seconds

Deeply inhale and exhale two times while you hold the pose

Repeat this set 3-5 times

6. Table Pose-Yoga

This exercise is done focusing on the abdominal muscles which you can strengthen for the delivery process. It will improve your body balance while also providing pain relief to sore or aching ligaments.

Start by getting into position by going down on all fours.

Stretch your right leg behind you

Now stretch your left hand forward

Hold this pose for 3-5 breaths

Keep alternating between both the hands and legs

Do this exercise for 5-10 minutes every day

Benefits of Doing Pregnancy Exercises at Home

Pregnancy workouts are proven to improve the delivery experience of the soon-to-be mom and the baby. But let’s dive into more details on how it is beneficial for maternal and fetal health.

1. It Strengthens the Baby’s Heart

According to a study on Gestational Exercise effects on the Infant's Heart, it was found that mothers that exercised during their pregnancies had babies with strong athletic hearts. When a pregnant woman exercises, both she and the baby avail of its health benefits.

2. It Helps During the Birthing Process

Pregnancy workouts help a woman’s body to develop stronger muscles, make their heart healthy, and increase their stamina. All these factors help with pain endurance in the long birthing process.

3. Helps with Pregnancy Hormones

During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through a lot of changes, one of which is hormonal imbalance. By doing regular pregnancy exercises at home, you can minimize the effects of hormones such as,

Relaxin - joints, ligaments, and pelvic pain

Estrogen - mid and lower back pain

Progesterone - baby blues (depression)

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) - morning sickness

4. Improves Mental Health

Pregnancy can be a stressful time that can affect your mental health. This is why you need to do pregnancy exercises at home as exercise releases endorphins (the feel-good chemicals). Exercising during pregnancy will also give you a sense of control which helps with stress.

5. Helps the Growing Pains During Pregnancy Progression

With the progression of the pregnancy, the body goes through physical changes which result in muscle and joint pain. Exercising during pregnancy helps relieve back pain, joint pain, and pelvic pain. It also helps strengthen the muscles in your butt and thighs which are beneficial in decreasing the pain during childbirth.

6. Reduce Pregnancy-Related Risks

When you do pregnancy exercises, you reduce the chances of developing pregnancy-related complications like gestational diabetes and having to get a C-section. Staying active with pregnancy workouts will also help you control any pre-existing health issues.

7. Keeps your blood pressure in Control

Regularly exercising during pregnancy helps keep the mother’s blood pressure in check. Exercising creates movement which is useful in maintaining blood pressure. The only time it wouldn’t lower her blood pressure is if she has preeclampsia.

8. Helps with Fatigue

Most pregnant women feel fatigued during their pregnancy period. Some experience it at the start of the pregnancy while others feel it during their last trimester. There is normal fatigue that requires rest but there’s also pregnancy fatigue which makes you feel more tired after rest. In such a situation pregnancy exercises help the woman in reducing her body’s fatigue and boosting her energy levels.

FAQ’s

1. In which month should I start exercise during the pregnancy?

There is no fixed month for starting pregnancy exercises. You can start whenever you feel to do so. Although check with your doctor on how long can you exercise.

2. Which exercises you should avoid when pregnant?

You should avoid doing exercises that require you to intensely engage with your abdominal muscles or requires fast movement with changes in direction. Avoid exercises like hopping, bouncing, deep sit-ups, and double leg raises.

3. Can I do squats during the pregnancy?

Yes, squatting during pregnancy helps you to build and maintain strength in your hips, pelvis, and glutes. This exercise can help your body get ready for labor and delivery.

EndNote

Almost all women are encouraged by their doctors to stay active and exercise during their pregnancies. You don’t have to exercise every day of the week, you can start with 3-4 times and then increase it if you want. Start with these Pregnancy exercises at home to improve your core and muscle strength. Once you do, you’ll notice positive changes in your mood and healthy mental space.

Here are our listed must-do pregnancy exercises at home

Belly Breathing

Warrior Pose

Kegel

Cat-Cow Pose

Squatting

Table Pose

While we do recommend exercising, do not follow any of these exercises without consulting your doctor first. Your doctor would know your current medical condition well and may recommend other exercises as well depending on it.

Exercising during pregnancy is beneficial for your and the baby’s health. Here’s how it benefits both of you.

It Strengthens the Baby’s Heart

It helps during the Birthing Process

Helps with Pregnancy Hormones

Improves Mental Health

Helps the Growing Pains During Pregnancy Progression

Reduce Pregnancy-Related Risks

Keep Your Blood Pressure in Control

Helps with Fatigue

If you found this blog helpful, don’t forget to like and share it with your friends on social media. You can also check our other blogs for more fitness and health tips. If you have any queries regarding the listed to-do pregnancy exercises at home, then share them in the comment section down below.

Want a Healthy Pregnancy? Do 6 Simple & Easy Pregnancy Exercises at Home