If you exercised
before pregnancy, continue to exercise unless you have
complications. You may have to tone down your exercise program,
but you can exercise.
If you did not
exercise before pregnancy and want to start after you have
conceived, make sure you check with your doctor about any
complications.
Begin a with light
exercise program with a few exercises or simply walking.
Safety
during exercise:
After you become
pregnant, you will need to monitor your heart rate so it does not
increase beyond a safe level. You will also need to make sure you
do not get too hot during exercise. If the weather is too hot, go
inside to exercise.
If you have any
complications of pregnancy, seek the advice of your doctor before
beginning an exercise program.
If you have any
bleeding, spotting or cramping during exercise, stop exercising!
Exercises
that help during labor:
Kegel
exercises:
These exercises are
the tightening of the vaginal area in a set amount of times. To do
the exercise, imagine that you are stopping the flow of urine.
Hold the tightened feeling and then slowly release. Do this for 15
times and then rest. Next you may try elevator tightening. This is
where you slowly tighten the muscles of the vagina and concentrate
on the muscle tightening higher inside of the vagina and then
slowly release. These require more practice, but are very
effective in toning the vaginal area and possibly reducing the
need for an episiotomy.
Abdominal
strengthening exercises:
To do these
exercises, lay on your back with your hands behind your head. You
should keep you elbow in a horizontal position and not point them
up towards the ceiling. Slowly raise your head. You can feel the
tightening in the abdominal area. Do about 10-20 of these twice.
These exercises will help increase strength for pushing the baby
out. This exercise will also help tone the separation of the
muscles after you give birth.
