What if a girl trained all her life before pregnancy and does not want to lose shape even during the period of maturation of the child? You can find out all the secrets in 5 minutes. The concern of women for their baby during pregnancy is quite natural and understandable. For this reason, many women try to move less and do not even think about training. At the same time, in the presence of physical activity and maintaining muscles in good shape throughout the entire period of pregnancy, the well-being of expectant mothers is much better in comparison with those who chose complete rest.
When you move, you form correct breathing, which is very important during childbirth. It should also be noted that physical activity, even if this is an ordinary walk, is an excellent means of preventing varicose veins and pain in the back. It also improves the oxygen supply of not only the woman, but also her baby, gives him the opportunity to develop and move in the womb.
Experienced obstetricians recommend physical activity during pregnancy, but, of course, certain safety rules must be followed. Let's see what pregnant women should not do:
- Skiing;
- Martial arts;
- Diving;
- Jumping exercises;
- Horseback riding and rollerblading;
- Team games.
Actually, this list could not have been given, since such loads involve contact with people or the risk of injury. Of course, this is out of the question, but pregnancy and fitness workouts are completely comparable things.
Training pace for pregnant women
One of the most important factors in sports is the pace of training. If a woman is professionally involved in sports, then everything changes for her during the period of gestation. Now there is no time for new sports achievements. At this stage, you need to maintain your physical condition at a certain level, as this will positively affect the baby, because now you are a single whole with him.
The pace of your activities can be calculated very easily. Let's say you are 24 years old and you should subtract this number from 220. The result is 196. Since your heart rate should not exceed seventy percent, you need to calculate 70% of 196. This gives approximately 137 beats per minute. Therefore, you must maintain the pace of your activity so that your heart rate does not exceed 137 beats per minute.
This will allow the body not to consume much oxygen, and the baby will develop as it should. It is also not allowed to drastically change the topics of activities so that there are no surges in the pulse. To make it easier to track your heart rate, you need to use a special bracelet and, if necessary, reduce the load. However, not only the heart rate may indicate an excessively high rate, for example, shortness of breath or pain in the lower abdomen, also indicate the need to stop exercising. Let's note the main contraindications to fitness classes during pregnancy:
- Placenta previa;
- Diseases of the reproductive system;
- Cardiovascular diseases;
- Excess amniotic fluid;
- Slow fetal development.
Types of permitted loads during pregnancy
It is very good if you played sports before conception. This has a positive effect not only on your body, but also on the subsequent course of pregnancy. In this case, you will be able to smoothly move to the loads that are permissible for you. If we talk about those sports that are not only allowed for pregnant women, but also useful, then this, of course, is swimming.
It is clear that you should swim at a calm pace and exclude all extreme movements, such as diving. Keep your head close to the water to minimize stress on your neck and lumbar region. This will allow good blood access to the brain.
The ideal swimming types are breaststroke and backstroke, with the emphasis on footwork. The water will massage the leg muscles and they will not overstrain. It is also necessary to remember about yoga, which is useful for all people, and especially for women expecting a baby. This is due to the fact that yoga includes not only gymnastic exercises, but also breathing exercises. When performing smooth movements, you do not load the muscles, but relax them. But at the same time, it should be remembered that you should not practice yoga on your own, because the wrong technique can cause damage to the body.
Now you can give some practical advice to pregnant athletes:
- For the first sixteen weeks, only light loads should be adhered to.
- Exercises should be alternated on different days so as not to overtrain.
- Be careful when you need to lie down or get off the floor.
- In the fifth month of pregnancy, exercises in which you need to lie on your back for a long time should be removed from the training program.
- When choosing clothing for classes, preference should be given to one that is made of high quality synthetic material.
Gymnastics for pregnant women by Arnold Kegel
In conclusion, a few words should be said about the Arnold Kegel exercises, which are designed to strengthen the muscles used during childbirth. You need to sit on an inflatable ball or chair, so that the main load falls not on the spinal column, but on the ischial bones. Contract the muscles of the perineum so that they are pulled inward and upward.
Fix this position and hold it for 10 seconds. At first, it will be enough to perform five repetitions of the exercise, and then gradually increase their number. Do the Kegel exercise 2 or 3 times throughout the day. You can also do this exercise while sitting and standing. With this exercise, you will strengthen your pelvic muscles, ease pushing, and eliminate the likelihood of urinary incontinence after childbirth.
For more information on exercising during pregnancy, check out this video:
