Abdominal Exercises During Pregnancy - Recommended By Every Doctor

It is so easy to see why abdominal exercises during pregnancy are so important. The baby develops in the uterus located in the lower abdomen. The baby develops to an average weight of 6 pounds. This added with the supplementary tissues, muscles etc. and the water bag, the average extra weight that women carry is about 30 pounds 24 hrs a day. In addition, the entire load falls on the abdominal muscles to remain straight and strong enough to hold this weight for a period of three to four months, especially in the third trimester. Now it is clear that the women should work from the beginning to make their abdomen strong to tolerate the impact of motherhood. How can you do that? The answer is only through exercise. You can even start your exercises when you envisage childbirth in the near future and continue it right through your pregnancy and even after your delivery.

Exercising Recommendation

Now the question arises what should be the best abdominal exercises during pregnancy. Try doing exercises which develop the muscles of the abdomen yet do not strain the inner abdomen organs. Up to the first trimester, you can listen to your mind. Thereafter, listen to your body. Do not do exercises that force the uterus to compress the vena cava, as it is the main source through which the blood returns. If this happens then you could have low blood pressure. This could also limit the supply of oxygen to the baby. It becomes a necessity for you to train your abs because of the pregnancy weight gain. These exercises strengthen your spine as well and reduce the chance of back pain. Moreover, pregnancy exercises also prevent diastasis recti, which is a common problem of abdominal muscles in women.

Some Other Tips

Abdominal exercises during pregnancy are aimed at developing the abdominal muscles to support child development in the woman's body. In the third trimester, the fetus develops very fast into a complete baby by the end of the ninth month. If you keep lying on the bed most of the time, the tissues joints and the body are not accustomed to movement and activity. This results in all the back pains and the body pains. While exercising, do some breathing exercises to develop discipline. Sit on comfortable mats and use cushions and pillows where necessary. Let your movements be slow, steady and rhythmic. Do not jerk, jump, leap or tire yourself too much. Drink water at short intervals. Take the advice of your doctor before attempting any form of exercise.

Some Common Abdominal Exercises During Pregnancy

• Start with warming up and stepping on your toes. Move your arms up and sideways and twist your body lightly for a while to get in the mood.
• You can start with forward and side crunches - sit on your hips with legs stretched forwards. Put your hands behind your back and bend forward. Similarly, do those while lying on your back. Do this exercise till the first trimester only.
• Sit by the wall on your toes with hips on the wall. Try getting up and then sitting again. After the first trimester do this abdominal exercise while standing.
• Start doing Kegels immediately and continue forever to develop strong pelvic floor muscles. For locating the right muscles for Kegels, hold your urine for a little longer before releasing. Now, keep practicing the contractions as if you are holding back your urine.