Discuss your plans with your doctor. If you and your baby are healthy and the pregnancy is not expected to be complicated, your doctor will probably encourage you to engage in a moderate amount of exercise. Your doctor may advise you not to exercise if you have:
Vaginal bleeding Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Problems with your cervix Maternity tanks Los Angeles
High blood pressure due to the pregnancy Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Heart or lung problems Maternity tanks Los Angeles
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A risk of having a preterm birth
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Build up slowly. You may find that you get tired more easily than you did before you were pregnant. If you exercised before pregnancy you can continue at similar length but may need to reduce intensity. Otherwise, start with five or 10 minutes of exercise per day and work up to about 30 minutes of moderate activity. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
It doesn't have to be a long period of exercise or should not be too intense. Push yourself just enough to get your heart rate up and your blood circulating. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
If you are out of breath and unable to speak then you are pushing yourself too hard. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
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Observe your limits. You will get tired more easily as the pregnancy progresses. Be sure to drink extra water. During pregnancy, you are particularly vulnerable to dehydration. Stop exercising immediately if you feel any of the following:
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Difficulty breathing
Back pain
Nausea
Swelling or numbness
An abnormally accelerated or uneven heartbeat
Method
2
Finding a Cardiovascular Exercise Routine
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Choose beneficial exercises. If you previously did cardiovascular exercises and your doctor says it is ok to continue, you may find it easiest to just adjust the intensity of your activities. Possible activities include:
Walking. Walking is an excellent way to get your heart rate up and maintain your leg muscles. Take care to wear shoes that support your feet and your ankles. Invest in a good sports bra which will continue to support you as your breasts enlarge. Walking will get you outside in the sunshine and can be done with your partner or friends. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Swimming. Swimming is excellent during pregnancy because it takes the weight off your joints while you move. Purchase a good pair of goggles so that you can swim with your face in the water. This will reduce the stress on your back. Avoid the butterfly stroke because of the extreme spinal movements it requires. If you have any pelvic pain while doing the breaststroke, switch to a different stroke. Even if you don’t swim well, many community pools have water aerobics courses for pregnant women. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Biking. If you biked a lot before your pregnancy, you may want to switch to using a stationary bike. This has the advantage that it is stable and you won't fall. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
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Avoid risky sports. This means that you should avoid activities in which you have a risk of falling or being hit, bumped, or jostled. Activities to avoid include:
Yoga poses that require you to lie flat on your back after 20 weeks. This can reduce the blood supply to you and the baby.
Contact sports like football, soccer, boxing, rugby, and basketball Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Sports like tennis or volleyball which require you to make sudden changes of direction
Activities in which you are in danger of falling such as climbing, horseback riding, skiing, or skating Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Activities that involve exposure to heat like exercising during hot weather, Bikram yoga (hot yoga), steam rooms, saunas, and hot tubs Maternity tanks, Los Angeles
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Enjoy the benefits of cardiovascular exercise. Engaging in a safe, moderate amount of exercise will benefit both you and the baby by:
Relieving backaches, leg cramps, constipation, bloating, and swelling Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Lowering your risk of having gestational diabetes Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Improving your mood and giving you more energy Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Making you sleep better
Getting you in shape for having an easier birth and faster recovery
Method
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Adding Safe Strength Training Exercises
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Maintain your upper-body strength. There are several activities that you can do to get your arms and back in shape for lifting and holding your baby after the birth:
Wall pushups. This exercise strengthens your pectoral muscles and your triceps. Stand to face a wall with your legs shoulder-width apart. Put your palms on the wall at shoulder height. Bend your elbows and lean into the wall until your nose touches the wall. Push yourself upright with your arms. Start small and work up to doing 15. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Rowing with a resistance band. Sit on a chair with the band under your feet in front of you and hold the ends. Sit with your back straight. Pull the band back with your elbows as if you were rowing. Aim to build up to 15 repetitions. You can purchase a resistance band at your local athletics store. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
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Work your core muscles with V-sits. There are several variations on these exercises. These exercises are best done only during the first three months of the pregnancy. The following exercises are recommended for pregnant women by the Mayo Clinic:
Supported V-sits. Sit on the ground with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lean back so that your back is approximately 45 degrees from the floor. You can support yourself by putting a firm pillow in the small of your back or use a balance trainer (a piece of gym equipment that looks like a large stability ball cut in half). Lift one leg until your lower leg is parallel to the floor. Maintain that position for about five seconds and then put your leg down. Do this 10 times and then switch legs. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
V-sits. Sit on top of a balance trainer or a footstool so you are about a foot off the ground. Your legs should be bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lean back until you feel your stomach muscles working. Hold the position for approximately five seconds and then sit up straight again. Do this 10 times. Once you get good at the V-sit you can do them while lifting first one leg, then the other.
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Tone your legs. These exercises will help you maintain your leg muscles, your flexibility, and your balance. Some of the positions, like squats, can even be done during labor to help the baby drop down into the birth canal. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Squats. Stand with your back against the wall and your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then push yourself back to a standing position. If you can’t go all the way down, that is okay. You can work up to it. Aim to be able to do 10 squats. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Leg lifts. Get on your hands and knees. Then lift one leg so that it is out straight behind you and parallel to the floor. Hold this position for five seconds, and then lower your leg. Repeat this 10 times and then do the other side. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
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Try yoga or pilates. Many women enjoy doing yoga and pilates to both stay in shape and to get in touch with their bodies. These activities focus on stretching and toning your muscles. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
If you take a course at your local gym or community center, look for one that is specifically for pregnant women. Tell the instructor how far along you are in the pregnancy. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
If you do yoga or pilates at home, discuss it with your doctor first to make sure the exercises are safe for you. Consider a pregnancy-specific video to do at home. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
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Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises. Getting your pelvic floor muscles in shape can help you have an easier delivery and recover faster. It also helps women avoid having urinary incontinence after giving birth. Practice these exercises three times per day. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Short squeezes. These exercises increase your strength. Lie on your back or sit with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Contract the muscles around your anus as if you are preventing yourself from passing gas. Then, at the same time, contract the muscles around your vagina and bladder like you do if you are stopping the flow of urine midstream. Do this without squeezing your buttocks together. Your buttocks should be relaxed throughout. Hold this squeeze for one to two seconds. Repeat it until you get tired. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Long squeezes. These exercises increase the endurance of your muscles. They are done the same way as the short squeezes except that you hold them longer. For some women holding it for four seconds will be enough to give the muscles a workout. Other women may be able to hold it for 10 seconds or longer. Over time you will be able to squeeze for longer and do more repetitions. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
If you are experiencing significant incontinence and can't do the Kegels correctly, there are physical therapists that specialize in teaching these exercises correctly. Your doctor can make a referral. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
A few tips can help you stay safe when exercising. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Always: Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Here are some useful tips:
Remember that:
Cautions when exercising during pregnancy Maternity tanks Los Angeles
When exercising:
Women who were exercising intensely, for example, jogging, before pregnancy may have to moderate their regime.
Activities may change as time goes on, because of bodily changes that occur. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Who should not exercise? Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Exercise during pregnancy can help:
It may also give an infant a healthier start.
Research shows that when pregnant women exercise, fetal heart rate is lower. Newborns may also have a healthier birth weight, a lower fat mass, improved stress tolerance, and advanced neurobehavioral maturation.
provider first. Maternity tanks Los Angeles
Exercise may not be advised if there is:
Stop exercising if you: