How To: Safe and Beneficial Exercises for Mamas-To-Be
You’ve been given the go-ahead to continue working out as usual by your doctor, but are some exercises better than others when it comes to helping you reap all of the benefits of working out while pregnant? Let’s take a closer look at why staying active is so important, along with counting down the five best exercises for pregnant women, as identified by Medical News Today.
Why Is Maternity Fitness So Important?
We’d need way more than a single blog entry to cover the multitude of reasons why fitness is critical during pregnancy. From helping with weight maintenance and building muscle strength to boosting mood and promoting sleep, the benefits of exercise for moms-to-be go on and on.
But the benefits don’t end with mothers. Unborn babies of fitness-minded moms also reap plentiful rewards, including everything from enhanced brain function to better heart health.
What Types of Exercise Are Best?
While most doctors agree that women who are enjoying healthy pregnancies can continue with their pre-pregnancy workout routines, there are a few things to keep in mind when planning how to make the most of your workout routine.
The most beneficial forms of pregnancy exercise get your heart rate pumping, focus on strength and flexibility, burn calories, and help prep your body for birth. They also include warming up and cooling down, along with an element of restraint as pushing your body too hard during pregnancy can be detrimental to your health.
Exercises to avoid, meanwhile, include those that involve lying flat on the back or stomach, heavy weight lifting, exposure to extreme changes in air pressure, and those that cause extreme fatigue or persistent pain.
Counting Down the Top Five
Medical News Today recently highlighted the five best forms of pregnancy exercise, including the following:
1. Brisk Walking
Perfect for moms-to-be who are starting out with lower levels of fitness, walking delivers a cardiovascular workout without stressing the knees or ankles, and can be continued throughout your whole pregnancy.
Just remember that the right footwear is critical — not only because you’ll need extra support as your center of gravity changes, but also because your foot size is likely to change over the next nine months.
Want to try walking during your pregnancy? Sport our new Walking For Two tank.
2. Swimming
Thanks to the small risk of injury and full range of motion water-based exercises such as swimming, aqua Zumba, and other forms of water exercise deliver a cardio workout that’s not only effective, but fun, too!
3. Stationary Cycling
Even if you’re starting from a relatively sedentary base point, a stationary bike can help you boost your heart rate without straining or stressing joints.
Plus, there’s a significantly reduced chance of falling on a stationary bike compared to a regular bicycle.
4. Yoga
Yoga supports physical and emotional health and provides a range of benefits, such as increased flexibility and improved blood pressure management.
An added benefit? The calming techniques learned during yoga translate to the delivery room.
5. Low-Impact Aerobics
While the up and down bouncing of high-impact aerobics can put pressure on your pelvic floor, low-impact aerobic limits stress by allowing participants to keep one foot on the floor at all times.
Not only does low-impact aerobics offer many of the same benefits as high-impact aerobics, but it’s also an ideal way to work on balance which can suffer as your pregnancy progresses.
With so many beneficial forms of exercise out there, and so many reasons to move your body during pregnancy, what are you waiting for? Shop tops, bottoms, and other chic, comfortable ForTwoFitness maternity activewear to get started today.
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