If you’re pregnant and someone asks you to refrain from exercises you can be sure that they are just going by age-old myths. There is no evidence to prove that exercises harm the development of the foetus unless of course you stretch yourself to a limit where your body actually feels the strain. Moderate exercises don’t harm the baby but might make you tired and that’s the last thing you’d want when you’re already busy coping with your pregnancy mood swings. But to have a healthy and stress-free labour, it is imperative to keep yourself moving. Pregnancy doesn’t mean you can sit back and relax.

 
Did you know that the amount of blood inside the body increases by almost 50% when a foetus grows inside you? This means that your heart is functioning at a rate greater than it normally does and hence will be 50% more stressed for the same exercise you did before. The trick here is to limit the time of your workout.

 
Listed below are a few safe and easy workouts for all the pregnant women out there!

 
1.  Walking: If you take a stroll in your neighbourhood park, you will be able to spot at least one pregnant woman with a baby bump. She might not be at her best pace, but she surely is stretching her muscles enough. As your tummy grows bigger you might lose balance- so always try to walk on smooth surfaces.

2.  Yoga: There are specialized group yoga classes for pregnant women that you should consider joining. There are dedicated asanas that will help increase the blood circulation to the foetus and also help flex the pelvic muscles.

3. Swimming: Aqua training is always fun! It gets even better when you’re pregnant. Take someone along with you and start with simple workouts like marching on-the -spot. You can do simple strokes if you feel comfortable. Usually the water will make you feel very light and hence a lot of pregnant women find it relaxing when they workout in the pool.

4. Weight Training: This is the best way to train yourself and tell your body that you’ll soon be lifting a live weight (your baby) everyday. Lifting weights help strengthen your joints and allow your muscles to increase its mass in a healthy way. Make sure you don’t strain yourself too much while you do this.

Note that breathing incorrectly while doing exercises can decrease the blood flow to the baby. So take that extra care and watch your breathing pattern.
Also, stop exercising if you experience dizziness, pain in your chest/abdomen, blurred vision, headache, increase in body temperature, etc.

 

References:
http://www.parents.com/pregnan cy/my-body/fitness/best- workouts-for-moms-to-be/
http://www.parents.com/pregnan cy/my-body/fitness/exercise- during-pregnancy/