Pregnancy is the amazing thing for a woman. When you are pregnant you feel hormonal changes during pregnancy because of that you feel change in your body ,mind and behavior. Every day, month and trimester of pregnancy is important. It is important for the pregnant woman to take care of herself by doing yoga, meditation and exercises. This help in proper development of both unborn baby and pregnant women. If you are pregnant then you should avoid any strenuous activity that put stress on your abdomen or lower back. It is safe to practice light exercises every day during pregnancy.
Also read: Exercises for normal delivery
1. When Not to Exercise | Exercises to avoid in first trimester
First of all before starting any exercise make sure that you do not have any high risk factor in your pregnancy.
Now we will discuss exercises to avoid in first trimester. Although exercises are necessary for body to relex and rejuvanate but we should also know what exercises should you avoid in first trimester. There are certain exercises which should be avoided in first trimester. Any exercise which create jerk to the abdomen area like jumping ,skipping or stretching should be avoided they can cause miscarriage .
Some should be avoided in later trimester. Also if poses of exercises are not done properly it may do more harm. It may lead to muscle sprain or abdomen pain. So it is best to join antenatal yoga classes. Do the exercises under proper guidance of a yoga instructor. If you have some high risk factor, consult your doctor before starting any of the exercises. You should be very cautious in case you feel any sign and symptom of miscarriage .
2. What are the exercises to avoid in Pregnancy ?
You should know your comfort level during exercising. If you are uncomfortable in your exercise don’t do. You are the best judge to see and decide what exercises should be avoided. Any exercise which create discomfort like jumping, hopping, skipping or jarring motion to your abdomen area should be avoided.
You should also take care of balancing your body during exercise. A growing baby bump considerably shifts the center of gravity and may cause disbalance in body. The baby bump may also restrict the body movement.
Now we will discuss what exercises should you avoid while pregnant?. Following are some activities that you should avoid during pregnancy.
2.1 Contact Sports
Safety is the prime concern during Pregnancy. Any sports which has potential to get you injured may be strictly avoided. Sports like Volley ball , Foot ball , Basket ball should be avoided. In these sports , ball may hit the tummy and can cause injury. They may also cause ligament injury as these becomes soft in pregnancy.
2.2 Cycling
Stationary Cycling is a good physical exercise in pregnancy. But cycling on roads should be avoided in pregnancy. In pregnancy, the growing uterus makes it difficult to balance the cycle. The chances of tripping and falling from cycle are more.
2.3 High Impact Aerobics
Aerobics involves jumping , bending , exertion and so should be avoided in pregnancy. You may also loose your balance while doing aerobics. So it is better to avoid these type of exercises.
2.4 Lying on the abdomen
Lying on your abdomen and doing exercises is not good for you. It may harm your baby inside.And also these positions are also uncomfortable for you and should be avoided.
2.5 Heavy Weight Lifting
Weight lifting exercises increases the intra abdominal pressure and can harm the baby. These exercises that involve weight training by lifting weights put pressure on the uterus. They may also put strain on your lower back.So should be avoided in pregnancy.
2.6 Abdominal Crunches
Abdominal Crunches put a pressure on abdominal muscles. The pressure causes undue stress to the uterus and baby.These exercises are a strict NO in every trimester of pregnancy.
2.7 Hot sauna bath
In pregnancy exposure to excessive heat is harmful to the baby and so hot sauna baths should be avoided during pregnancy.
2.8 Some Yoga Postures
In my previous post I have emphasized the benefits of yoga in pregnancy. There are benefits of yoga during pregnancy .Pre natal yoga helps you to relax and de stress yourselves.But there are certain yoga postures that cause strain on abdominal muscles and back .These poses should be avoided. It is a good idea to do yoga under proper guidance of a antenatal yoga instructer.
2.9 Spine Bending Exercises
Some exercises and yoga poses involve bending and twisting of back and so should not be done during pregnancy. These postures create an unnecessary pull and stress in the uterus, which can harm the baby.
3. Safety Tips for Exercising
There are some hormonal changes in the pregnancy that causes increase in heart rate, increase in volume of blood, etc. Prenancy also causes softening and loosening of ligaments. Moreover the baby bump causes imbalance in the body as centre of gravity is shifted. So it is very important to understand your body. Do till your body allows. Do not over exert your self. Here are some safety tips that you should follow:-
ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY NEW EXERCISES.
- Do not over- exert. If you start feeling pain in any body part or nausea, breathlessness , immediately stop exercising.
- Avoid any exercises that give any kind of stress on the abdomen or the lower back.
- Do your exercises under the guidance of a antenatal yoga trainer.
- If there is any high risk medical condition in pregnancy, consult your doctor. Even if starting mild exercise consult before.
- Exercise in comfortable environment. Do not exercise under sun or in heat.
- Deep breathing exercises increase the lung capacity and thereby providing more oxygen to baby. Its a good idea to start your exercises by first practicing deep breathing.
- Stay hydrated while exercising.
Also read: What are the tips for normal delivery ?
4. Exercise Frequency
How much exercise should a pregnant woman get a week? After consulting your doctor , you can start light exercises in the beginning for about half an hour. These exercise can be done about four to five days a week. However walking and breathing exercises can be done daily.
You should stay fit and active in your motherhood journey.So apart from house hold work ,you ahould take out some time for walking, stretching and exercising. These help to prepare your body for the changes that occur in pregnancy. Also it will help in safe and easy delivery. Antenatal exercises also prepare your body for the post partum changes that will occur after delivery.
5. Summary
Easy Pregnancy period is very essential for a pregnant women. It will help in relieving the stress level and help in normal vaginal delivery. Exercise or yoga also helps in post delivery complications.
Also read: What is BLEEDING IN EARLY PREGNANCY how to avoid it.
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