| Although antenatal exercise is receiving an increasing | | | | really do have their benefits, the only thing they |
| amount of attention within the media, the health and | | | | probably don't do as well as swimming and running is |
| fitness industry and the NHS clear advice on what is | | | | their lack of maintaining cardiovascular fitness. |
| the best thing for women to do still seems to be | | | | Running |
| missing. In this article we are going to go through the | | | | As with swimming running can be great for cardio and |
| different types of exercise available to pregnant | | | | weight management, but unlike swimming it can only |
| women, it's strengths and weaknesses, and what we | | | | be performed up until a point as the increasing size |
| think you should really be doing to help maintain your | | | | and weight of your bump means it can get quite |
| prenatal fitness. | | | | uncomfortable and painful. This, coupled with the lack |
| Swimming | | | | of stability at the hips due to the relaxin, can make |
| Most women find swimming really enjoyable because | | | | running quite hard to stick to, like swimming it also |
| of it being so low weight bearing so it actually feels | | | | doesn't help with any of the strength aspects that are |
| nice to be in the water, there is less strain on your | | | | required. |
| joints and major muscles. This allows you to move a | | | | Pregnancy Yoga & Pilates |
| lot easier and perform exercise to a good level, | | | | Although they are slightly different we have grouped |
| meaning it can be quite good for cardio. However, it | | | | them together because of the way in which both train |
| doesn't really address all the postural and muscular | | | | the core, something that is vitally important during and |
| imbalances that are occurring and will continue to | | | | after pregnancy. Although you can't perform sit ups or |
| occur therefore once you get out of the water the | | | | certain types of abdominal exercise during pregnancy |
| aches and pain soon come back. Good for cardio and | | | | it is still important to help maintain the strength of your |
| weight management but poor for strength and posture. | | | | core and both yoga and Pilates are great ways to do |
| Weights | | | | this. However, they do fall short when comparing the |
| Weights are one of the most beneficial things to | | | | maintenance of cardiovascular fitness, weight |
| perform, they are a great way to help with weight | | | | management, and the management of some muscular |
| management, address the postural and muscular | | | | imbalances (more so of the lower body). |
| imbalances that occur and even more so important | | | | Walking |
| they help prepare you for all the postnatal lifting, | | | | Walking is very similar to running and swimming in the |
| feeding and carrying you are required to do at a time | | | | sense that it helps to maintain your cardiovascular |
| when you might have otherwise been at your | | | | fitness and similarly its lack for the strengthening of the |
| weakest! Although most people don't know what | | | | body to help alleviate and avoid upper and lower back |
| exercises are safe and effective to perform they | | | | pain, hip pain, rounding of the shoulders and so on. |