No matter how interesting and exciting the pregnancy experience is, it sure comes with some pains and aches – and therefore, the need for some pregnancy workouts. These workouts will help to address all the symptoms of lower back pains and even nausea.
Interestingly, several of these prenatal exercise classes can be gotten online without leaving the four walls of your house – this saves you the stress of having to be physically present at a yoga center attending one form of prenatal workout or the other.
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Benefits Of Pregnancy Workouts
The benefits of prenatal workouts are numerous – however, the following are some of what you stand to benefit from taking part in prenatal exercise classes
- It promotes better digestion
- It helps to get better sleep
- Better and improved blood circulation
- Prepares the body for labor and childbirth
In addition, prenatal workout helps to reduce anxiety and stress and helps to increase muscle flexibility and strength. Also, it boosts energy in preparing your body for the actual day of delivery.
However, there is a need to always consult with your doctors before taking part in any prenatal workout videos – you should never force yourself into doing anything. You should only do what your body is able to accommodate per time.
Therefore, the following are some categories of prenatal workouts that you can engage in as your pregnancy progresses;
Second Trimester Yoga
This second-trimester yoga is helpful for women at any stage of their pregnancy journey. It is safe, fun-filled, relaxing, and has little or no impact on the baby.
So, engaging in yoga at this stage will help you to stretch your muscle and reduce pains especially for those in the lower back, and helps to reduce blood pressure. So, exercise will help to keep the body safe for labor.
However, it is essential not to engage in anything that is unsafe and could cause harm to both you and the baby because your safety is of utmost importance.
Pregnancy Exercise Apps
It is of great benefit staying active during pregnancy because this will help to prevent some painful symptoms like leg cramps and back pain. Though, it’s often recommended to consult with your doctor before embarking on any of them.
The following are the best pregnancy exercise apps that can help in your prenatal workout, check them out;
Pregnancy Exercise And Workout At Home App – Available for download on Android device
Price: Free
What to enjoy on this app:
- Monitors pregnancy progress and due date
- Animations to help serve as a guide for each exercise
- Free home pregnancy exercise and workout
- Useful information for each trimester
FitOn Pregnancy Exercise App – It is available on both Android and iPhone
Price: Free but attract charges for in-app purchases
What to enjoy on this app:
- Many exercise videos and fitness plans
- Personalized fitness plans
- Calming yoga practices that help to reduce stress
- Controlled and guided meditations to help improve sleep and improve breathing
Baby2Body – It is available for download on iPhone
Price: Free but attract charges for in-app purchases
What to enjoy on this app:
- Useful tips from professionals
- Safe exercise and workout plans for every stage of the pregnancy
- User get wellness tips
- Feeding tips, recipes, and pregnancy meal plans for your nutritional needs
- Tracks exercise, weight, and water intake
Kegel Trainer – Exercises, its available for download on both Android and iPhone devices
Price: Free but attract charges for in-app purchases
What to enjoy on this app:
- Quick and easy sessions that last between 30 seconds to 3 minutes long
- Daily alerts when it’s time to perform the exercises
- Easy exercises that help to strengthen pelvic floor muscles
At Home Pregnancy Workouts
So, the following are some pregnancy workouts that you can try at home – but the emphasis is always placed on first consulting your doctors before engaging in any of them. Here are some home pregnancy workouts;
Lying Sideways While Raising Your Legs
- This can be done on the bed or a yoga mat/towel placed on the floor
- Lie sideways and slightly bend the lower kneel to gain stability
- Gently lift the leg on top and ensure the kneel is kept straight. Squeeze the glute muscle then gently lower the back then.
- Repeat the process between 10 to 15 times and then change to the other leg
Watch the video here:
4-Point Arm Raises
- This exercise can either be done on the yoga mat or a towel spread on the floor or using your bed
- Place your hands and knees on the mat and turn your tummy muscles on for stabilization
- Stretch out your head while you separate your shoulders from your ears. Stretch out an arm in front of you while your thumbs point to the air
- Lower the back of the arm
- Repeat the process another 10 to 15 times
Watch the video here:
Hip Thrust
- The couch is usually the best position to get this done
- Rest the upper part of your back against the couch and stretch out your feet and bend your knees in front. Use your forearms as support while your feet are set up
- Tilt your pelvic and press through your heels
- Thrust your hips up
- At this point – you should feel you’re the back of your legs and glutes working.
- Repeat this process another 8 to 10 times
Watch the video here:
Prenatal Fitness Exercise
Taking part in some fitness exercise while pregnant is important and one of the fastest ways of postpartum weight loss and recovery back to shape.
Therefore, here is some prenatal fitness that you can do within the comfort of your home – but it is usually important to first consult with your doctor in finding the prenatal workout that will be safe for both you and your baby.
Pregnancy Squats
This is an exercise that is ideal for all three trimesters. So, squatting will help pump up your heart rate. Also, it will help to keep your body in the right shape and strengthen your lower half.
Here is how it works:
- Spread your feet hip-width apart
- Move your hip backward as if you were sitting on a chair until your hip become parallel with the ground
- Stand upright and repeat the same process for as long as your body can accommodate
- The above process can still be repeated when you get to the second trimester. However, there is a little alteration when you approach the third trimester, please note;
Watch the video here:
Pregnancy Squats For Third Trimester:
- Stand up with your head and back against a wall
- Bring down your body to a lower position till your thighs become parallel to the floor
- You can hold this for 30 seconds and repeat the process for as long as your body can accommodate.
Kettlebell Workouts
These are safe for pregnant women as they help them to gain strength, stability, and balance.
Here is how it works:
- Stand straight with fit hip spread apart
- Hold the kettlebell with both hands
- Hold the hip back and squat as if you are sitting on a chair
- Squeeze your butt and return to standing repeating the process 8 to 10 times
However, there are other ways through which the kettlebell can also be used,
Watch the video:
Booya Fitness Reviews
An online fitness class that helps you to reach your fitness goal and target. On Booya, you can access different fitness classes at all levels (from beginners to advanced level). So, it covers a wide range of fitness areas like burning of fat, muscle building, boosting your cardio, and many others.
Most of these online classes are usually not more than 30 minutes and you do it at the comfort of your house saving you the stress of having to travel a long journey to gyms.
Classes Of Fitness Exercise
- Low impact workouts
- High impact workouts
- Less than 30 minutes of exercise
- Over 30 minutes of exercise
- Exercise for new beginners
- No equipment workouts
So, each of these classes also comes with different options and free exercise videos that can be practiced from the home.
Pros OF The Fitness Reviews
- Many workout options
- Professional trainers
- Excellent customer support plan
- Payment can be done through debit and prepaid card
Membership
An annual membership fee of $99 is charged. Interestingly, you could subscribe for a monthly package that costs only $9.99 or the 3-months membership package which goes for $27.
However, subscribers have the option of enjoying a one-month free subscription after which payment is done depending on your package type.
Final Thoughts
Pregnancy workouts do not necessarily have to be uncomfortable, stressful, and draining. Besides visiting your doctors for counsel, it is also important to try out a couple of prenatal workouts that meet your needs.
There are still a handful of useful online prenatal classes that you can subscribe to that can help you achieve your fitness goals – every stage of your pregnancy has a corresponding fitness routine to help keep you in shape.
Keep fit for both yourself and the baby and have a smooth delivery experience.
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