Interested in pregnancy exercises? Good for you! Pregnancy exercises can help you improve your core strength, tone your muscles and prepare for labor. Before you get started, remember to put safety first. Avoid moves that make you feel unstable, which could increase your risk of falling.
Start with wall pushups, which work the pectoral muscles in the front of your chest wall and the triceps muscles in the back of your upper arm. Stand up facing a wall. Lean against the wall with your hands. Keep your knees comfortably apart. Place your hands on the wall at the level of your shoulders, slightly greater than shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest until your chin reaches the wall. Keep your back straight. Then return to the starting position. Gradually work up to 15 repetitions.
Squatting during labor — even for short amounts of time — helps open your pelvic outlet and allows more room for your baby to descend. Practicing squats now will make it easier to squat during labor. Try squats with a fitness ball.
Stand up straight with a fitness ball behind your back and against the wall, your feet about shoulder-width apart. Slide down the wall until your knees reach a 90-degree angle, being careful to keep your heels flat on the floor. If you can’t bend your knees to a 90-degree angle, simply go as low as you can — then return to the starting position. You might want to have someone stand next to you to help prevent you from losing your balance. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions.
To strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, try leg lifts. Start on your hands and knees, keeping your arms straight and your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Lift your right knee, then straighten your leg behind you — ending with the raised leg parallel to the floor. Repeat on the other side. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions on both sides.
