Pregnancy is considered as the most prestigious phase of a woman’s life as she is going to become a mother of an unborn token of love. A pregnant lady is required to take proper diet and nutrition in order to stay healthy and to avoid any complications at the time of delivery.
So, let’s have a look at some of the essential points covering why exercise and physical fitness is necessary for a pregnant woman’s body:
- When it comes to prenatal care, one must start exercising as early as possible in order to get ready for the plethora of changes that that will come to the body in the coming days and also to reduce the extent of labor pain, immature delivery, stress, back pain, cramps, and mood swings.
- Most important in order to regain the shape of the body after the delivery and also to fulfil the oxygen demand of the body and the baby, exercises are a must.
- The journey of an ovule to a newborn baby takes 40 weeks or 9 months to complete. Every week brings a new series of change to the mother’s body and each of them needs to be handled with extreme caution and here exercises come to her rescue.
- The first to third weeks are the best time to begin exercising. As it is during this time there is no significant change in anatomy. Once confirmed, one should limit the duration of exercise to a manageable extent. Like if you were a fitness freak from before you need to cut down the workout hours to one and a half hours or two. All couch potatoes should begin with walking and then shift to a jog. Compulsory half an hour morning walk can prove miraculous.
- The fourth week comes with muscle cramps and vomits. In this condition, Padmasana and slow inhalation-exhalation help a lot. Swimming is a great exercise for rejuvenating during the prenatal period as it ensures complete motor movement which is facilitated by water and playing with buoyant force is indeed great Thirty minutes for 3 to 4 days a week can suffice the body requirement.
- Week nine brings small urinal leakage due to the growing One can prevent the worsening of the situation by including UTKATASANA in the workout chart and yes, doing it. This asana strengthens the urinary system by strengthening the muscles of the urinary bladder.
- Butterfly pose is the best in easing with the morning sickness.
- The eleventh week certainly explains the need for exercises and asana. At this time there is a need to enhance hunger to ensure proper nutrition. Vajrasana, Savasana, Padmasana yield fruitful results in this case.
- By the end of the first trimester, one must try to gain around 12 pounds to enhance body This can be a piece of cake for you with the Vajrasana (diamond pose).
- Week fourteen brings a great boost of energy to their This time is the best when she must get engaged in long jogs or marathons. But mind it, the strides should be of the manner that she doesn’t get out of breath while speaking after the run.
- In the seventeenth week a lot of stress begins to stack up on the mother making her worried about the child and parenthood, here brahmari, savasana, sukhasana is unbelievably
- Some suggested exercises onwards include elliptical machine workout, squat, rocking cat, side-lying, Buddha Aerobics must not be performed by those mothers who live at higher altitudes. Exercise also varies according to climate and the type of environment. Like hot places need a little amount of exercise to meet with the energy requirements. Here excessive exercise may lead to overheating. But in hilly areas, one needs little more to keep the body warm.
- In 20th week the uterus begins to come up and the centre of gravity too. Now it becomes difficult for the mother to balance. One should try to maintain mental calmness by exercising. This enhances the body balance. Also, the mother should not lie flat on her back or by the side of her tummy.
- The 25th week brings chest burns and morning sickness and caffeine with Padmasana can win the battle. Growing fetus puts pressure on the diaphragm of a mother by the 30th week, hence suffocation is common. A person doing a daily exercise can ace through this condition easily. As exercises regulate the breath. 36th week witnesses the dropping of the fetus to the pelvic area. Thus by the time, one must be doing the pelvic floor exercises. All that is needed in the next four weeks is stress-relieving exercises.

When to say no to exercises:
- When one faces any sort of trouble in breathing.
- In case of vaginal bleeding.
- You feel dizzy.
- In case of headache, chest pain or weak muscles.
- Calf pain or swelling, as this may be due to rupture of any muscle, strain or a sprain.
- Preterm labor.
- Decreased movement of the baby
- Any type of fluid leakage from the vagina.
Unsafe conditions of exercising:
- If one has any heart or lung disease.
- Possession of short cervix.
- Multiple pregnancies also can be a valid reason for not exercising.
- In the case of high blood pressure, migraine or muscle cramps.
What to avoid:
- Avoid eating just before exercises.
- Exercises like sit-ups and sports like horse riding, volleyball, basketball have to be avoided if one loves them.
- Should not use lifts, but should better use stairs during early and midweeks. One should not hold breath during exercising.
- There should not be any jerky movements or twisting postures which lay stress on the abdomen.
- The sudden burst of exercise should be neglected and she should follow proper warming up and limbering down procedure. Workout beyond capacities must be avoided.