Pregnancy fitness

Fitness for pregnant women is not only an opportunity to easily get back into shape after childbirth, but also a guarantee of good health during pregnancy, reduced fatigue and improved health of both mother and child. Long forgotten are the days when pregnancy was considered an illness and doctors forbade even minimal physical activity for pregnant women under the threat of miscarriage. Nowadays, there are many opportunities for pregnant women to engage in almost any kind of sport. Of course, you can’t take the choice of fitness lightly, not all physical activity can be equally safe for the health of mother and child, not every kind of sport will have a beneficial effect on pregnancy in general.

If you were actively involved in fitness before pregnancy and currently feel good, then you should limit physical activity and pay special attention to monitoring your heart rate: your pulse during exercise should not exceed 130-140 beats per minute. If you are not used to regular exercise, but during pregnancy you decided to make up for lost time and get in shape, then you should initially consult with your doctor. Based on tests and initial data, the doctor will be able to select a safe and correct program that will help strengthen the body and improve well-being. Perhaps complex exercises or strength training will be contraindicated for you; in such cases, race walking or aqua aerobics are usually recommended.

How to choose the best fitness for pregnant women?

Doctors believe that the best fitness for pregnant women is swimming or aqua aerobics. Water sports are the leaders due to their safety, availability and the ability to control the load. The aquatic environment makes dangerous abrupt movements impossible, and exercises during aqua aerobics strengthen absolutely all muscle groups without causing severe fatigue and discomfort even in the later stages. Of course, not all types of swimming are equally useful: doctors do not recommend diving, crawl swimming and exercising at great depths.

The next popular type of physical activity for pregnant women is yoga. It is a harmonious combination of gymnastics, stretching, breathing exercises and meditation. Despite the fact that yoga exercises may seem simple and do not require preparation, doctors do not recommend doing yoga on your own. Under the guidance of an experienced trainer, pregnant women have the opportunity to improve not only their physical fitness, but also stabilize their emotional state and put their thoughts in order. Classes without an instructor can be not only ineffective, but even dangerous.

If you do not have the opportunity to work out with a trainer, do not be upset: with the help of a few recommendations and tips, you can choose a suitable and not too difficult fitness for pregnant women at home. The main rule that you will have to adhere to is moderation in physical activity. Even if before pregnancy you led a very active lifestyle and trained daily, the load will need to be significantly reduced. The optimal number of workouts per week is three times for 30-40 minutes, no more. Remember that you are responsible not only for your health, but also for the health of the child. Exclude complex exercises and too abrupt movements from the training program, try to move as smoothly and carefully as possible. Stretching exercises, which usually end any fitness training, will be especially useful.

Do not forget that fitness for pregnant women may be unsafe: any cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the genitals, unsuccessful pregnancies in the past, inflammatory and infectious diseases are automatically considered contraindications. In such cases, it is better to limit yourself to long walks in the fresh air and avoid physical activity as much as possible. If you feel worse during exercise, you should discuss with your doctor again exercises that will not harm the pregnancy.