Every female individual in this world has been developed by nature to reproduce and to augment their respective race by means of either giving birth to the young ones or by laying eggs. For both the safety of the mother and the younger one do some core exercises for pregnancy.
It is very important to pay heed towards exercising regularly and towards a nice healthy diet.
Thereby, doing certain core exercises while pregnant prevents C-sections and other anomalies both in the mother and the newbie.
Essence of Exercise
Certain women prefer being active and youthful even during pregnancy and therefore they maintain their robust routine of workout and exercise. Exercising during pregnancy is very beneficial as it does not only tones your body but also induces labour naturally and effectively.
These core exercises while pregnant strengthen your core muscles for you to bear the pain and pressure of the labour induced naturally or artificially.
Those women whose routine already incorporate strenuous exercises are not being affected harshly and adversely with the pregnancy-specific exercises.
However, for those who are lazy enough for not embarking a healthy routine incorporating certain exercises. These pregnancy-specific exercises might affect them if initiated without the consultation of the proper gynaecologist.
Abdominal Exercises
There are a number of core abdominal exercises which are pretty much beneficial and bolster in safe and normal delivery. Normally, women ask this question regarding their abs workout as to whether one should retain their abs workout during pregnancy or not.
Well, the answer is YES. One can definitely retain their abs workout during pregnancy if dealt with cautions and safety measures.
Below is a list of core exercises for pregnancy to tune your abdomen that one should perform during their pregnancy trimesters;
1. Knee Lift Sitting
This exercise is performed by means of a prop which is your chair. Keeping your back straight and knees hanging down towards the floor, keeping your feet flat and straight on the floor, relax and sit. Make sure you are sitting on the edge of the chair.
Your palms should face downwards and their position should be under your pelvis.
Begin exercising with your left leg first. Holding your breath, contracting your abdomen, move your knee towards your chest such that the whole effect tilts your pelvis. Now gently and slowly bring back your leg towards the neutral position as it was.
Now, repeat the whole procedure with your right leg. And at least 2 sets of 10 repetitions should be done during the first trimester however in the next two trimesters the sets can be augmented. Also, certain weight such as 2-3 lbs. can also be attached to your ankle whilst performing this core exercises while pregnant.
2. Side Lying Crunch
On the mat, lay down in a supine position. Begin exercising with the left side. Turn towards the left side slightly and tilt your left leg in such a manner that it makes 30o with your pelvis.
Now, tilt your body towards the right side such that your knees should lift approximately 6 inches from the ground. Always make sure, during this exercise your weight should be balanced between the left shoulder and its blade.
Now lift up your torso, such that you are trying to grab your lifted knees. The position of your hands should be such that they must be under your head with fingertips clasped and touching the head. While lifting your torso upwards, your left shoulder will be lifted slightly.
Following the head, bring your arms towards your knees and pushing them slightly higher.
Side-lying crunches among the core exercises for pregnancy is the safest exercise to be done so far.
Make sure you should do 2 set of 6 repetitions as a beginner however once become fond of it you can augment the number of repetitions from 6 to 12.
3. Breathing
While lying back on a mat in a supine position, start inhaling and exhaling such that when the air is taken your ribs are raised upwards whereas when the air is exhaled out the ribs began to resume to their neutral condition.
Keep on doing this breathing exercise as it will not only strengthen your core muscles but will also improvise your breathing pattern which is one of the strongest armor during labor.
4. Be Seated On the Stability Ball
Stability ball sitting is the best exercise in order to maintain posture and keeping your back erect. If haven’t had experience tackling with the stability ball, then ask a friend or a companion to help you sit on the stability ball.
Keeping your back straight and erect, start inhaling and exhaling, such that lift your left hand upwards and the opposite leg slightly upwards as well.
Below is the great Prenatal Series Stability Ball Exercises for Pregnancy, Labor, and Delivery by Diana Antholis don’t forget to see the video.
Keep them down and begin with the opposite hand and leg. Repeat the phenomenon with the opposite leg and hand and make sure to perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions or more though for a beginner initiate with lesser repetitions.
5. Standing Crunches
The side lying crunches is more or less similar to standing crunches to practice as some core exercises while pregnant. Stand with feet apart such that the difference between both the feet should be that of your shoulder length.
Place your hands underneath your head i.e. clasping the back of your neck. Tilt your head along with your thorax towards the floor in a manner that your abdominal muscles are squeezed and pelvis is tucked. Repeat the process for around 10-15 times.
6. Side Plank
Numerous planks during pregnancy have become one of the most integral parts of workout routines. One such plank i.e. side plank which is discussed briefly below:
Begin with left side first, lay down on your left side such that your knees are stacked together and your elbow is positioned directly under your shoulder i.e. making 90o to your left shoulder.
Maintain your posture and focus on your breathing such that your head and hips should be aligned decently. Hold onto this position for at least 30 sec.
Repeat the exercise with another leg.
7. Squatting
Squatting is that core exercise which has been proved really beneficial during labour as it prepares the body for future thrusting.
Open your feet with the distance that of your shoulder length. Wide open your arms in front of your chest such that they should be aligned with the respective shoulder.
Before squatting down, if you are a newbie, make sure your partner is there with you to help you regain your balance for workout mishaps.
Start squatting downwards. If you feel a bit imbalanced then do this with the aid of your ally. After several attempts, you will be able to do on your own.
Trimester Care
Each trimester has its own care. Usually, after the first trimester, the question about lying down on a supine position is much controversial, as with enough weight of the womb which generally augments as the trimester progresses; increased weight reduces the blood flow to the heart.
So generally, as some core exercises while pregnant gynaecologists prescribe to pregnant women to lie on their left side instead of lying on their back. So all the aforementioned exercises should only be done once they have been negotiated between you and your gynaecologist because at the end of the day all we want is you and your baby’s health.
Momjunction have a best article on exercises pregnancy women can perform safely click the below link to explore 21 safe exercises to perform in pregnancy.
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/abdominal-exercises-during-pregnancy_00366835
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