The best 8 sports for pregnant women

   

   

You are used to taking care of yourself and love physical activity. But now, in anticipation of the baby, are you thinking about changing your usual training style? You are right: now the choice should be made in favour of more calm and safe activities. Fortunately, there are many!

The conclusion reached by obstetricians and gynaecologists after many years of observation will please everyone who likes to move. They argue: that physical activity is only good for expectant mothers. At this moment, we get to know our body better, albeit somewhat heavier, protect ourselves from varicose veins and back pain, learn to breathe correctly, which is very important during childbirth, and keep our weight normal. Choose the most comfortable sportswear like ripe maternity leggings and enjoy your classes.

The mother’s activity also benefits the baby: he gets more oxygen, which he needs for development and moves more. Such children are born strong, easier and faster to master their bodies and learn to speak. That’s just the choice of the type of activity and the level of load for the waiting time should be taken very seriously. Needless to say, you need to make such a decision together with the doctor who leads the pregnancy? And do not be surprised if you suddenly find that the benevolent attitude of specialists towards your sports activities has its limits.

What sports are dangerous for pregnant women?

Some sports may not be safe for expectant mothers, so it is better to cancel such activities during pregnancy. Unwanted are:

  • Combat sports;
  • Roller skating, skiing;
  • Horseback riding;
  • Diving.

General rules of sports training for pregnant women

In order not to risk the well-being of the baby, follow a few rules:

The rhythm of your activities should be regular and not too intense, otherwise, the heart and brain will absorb oxygen to the detriment of the baby, which can harm his development. calories you have lost. If such a device is not at hand, count the pulse manually.

Watch your breathing: if during class you notice that you can no longer speak normally, your breathing has become intermittent, your face is reddened – stop, you are moving too fast!

Do not start classes if you feel pain behind the pubic bone.

And, finally, put aside until better times practices that require complex coordination of movements, sharp “bursts” and jump (as happens during regular aerobics, step, cycling).

So, if your pregnancy is developing safely and your obstetrician-gynaecologist is not opposed to the idea of ​​sports activities, it remains to think and choose the appropriate direction.

Suitable sports for pregnant women

Our life, unfortunately, is full of stress. And future mothers, in addition to daily annoying worries, quite naturally, are worried about the well-being of their baby. Here they will come to the aid of techniques that teach them to feel their body: to relax when necessary, or, conversely, to tone certain muscles and control their breathing.

1 – Taijiquan and yoga

These ancient oriental techniques are still ready to help us Europeans. By performing special movements at a slow pace, to the music, you learn to feel your body through your muscles while keeping them in good shape.

2 – Pilates for expectant mothers

This practice, which is called the method of body control (MKT), was created by Joseph Pilates: a young man, weak and sickly from birth, began to train according to his own methodology and not only defeated his ailments, but was also able to seriously go in for sports, and a little later he began to teach MCT to everyone.

He believed: that if we want to learn how to move correctly, we need to start all over again, that is, change the impulses coming from the muscles and restore the balance between all the muscles of the body, returning each of their groups to its inherent role. Only when the correct movement is repeated many times will the brain begin to receive the correct signals and the body will return to natural, that is, natural, movement.

   

In order for any movement practice to benefit you, its rhythm must be soft. Focus on your heart rate, which cannot exceed 70% of your maximum heart rate.

3 – Stretching (stretching)

This type of activity allows you to gently stretch the muscles while relaxing them.

NOTE! Some exercises are not suitable for expectant mothers, such as forward bends from a standing position. Opt for those movements that you need to perform while sitting or lying down to take the load off your back and legs.

4 – Swimming

Immersion in water soothes, cools and helps relieve tension from the muscles of the body because its weight is no longer felt.

NOTE! No matter how pleasant this activity is, still, stick to the golden mean, do not overstrain. Crawl and doggy “style” is not suitable for you now, because in both cases the neck muscles tense up, which can squeeze the veins that supply blood to the brain, and blood vessels, and make you bend in the lower back. As you know, discomfort in one part of the back causes a response in another. Expectant mothers can swim breaststroke, and even better – on their backs and work with their feet, resting their heads on a swimming board. The pressure of the water will massage the calves, making it easier for blood to flow up to the heart.

The doctor may forbid physical education for those women who have serious health problems, such as heart or vascular disease (one of them is hypertension), problems with the opening of the cervix or placenta attachment.

Sports for pregnant women with shortness of breath

Do you have shortness of breath? Don’t worry, this happens to many moms-to-be as pregnancy puts extra strain on the heart and lungs. The volume of circulating blood increases by 20-25%, which causes the heart rate to increase. In addition, the growing baby begins to put pressure on the internal organs of the mother, which limits the movement of the lungs. Sports and breathing exercises will help keep their volume normal and teach expectant mothers to control their breathing.

5 – Aqua aerobics

Exercising in water is easier than on land, that is, in the gym. We do not feel the weight of the body, and our movements become smooth.

NOTE! Be sure to monitor your pulse. During classes using equipment (belts, dumbbells), movements become more intense, so at the end of the workout, arrange a hearty lunch for yourself so as not to deprive the baby of the substances necessary for development. In the pool, stay away from your neighbours so that no one hurts you.

6 – Belly dance

Such lessons improve mood and increase self-esteem. Dance movements prepare the muscles and ligaments of the small pelvis for the upcoming birth. And the work of the hands develops their plasticity and strengthens the back and posture.

7 – Hiking

This is a very useful form of relaxation and a special kind of sport that makes several muscle groups work at the same time.

NOTE! Don’t walk for too long: a safe interval is 15 to 45 minutes. Carefully choose shoes, otherwise, due to the weakening of the tone of the ligaments, you can dislocate the ankle. After walking, be sure to sit down or lie down, raising your legs above your head so that the blood in the veins does not stagnate.

8 – Choreography

Under the guidance of a trainer, you will perform exercises to develop body plasticity. At first, they can be done at the barre (this is how, if you remember, dancers warm-up), and starting from the middle of pregnancy, sitting or lying down so as not to overload the veins and spine. Most importantly, keep your back straight.

NOTE! Be careful, try to stretch the muscles, so as not to risk dislocation of the joints, softened during pregnancy under the influence of the hormone relaxin.

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