Do you exercise during pregnancy? Are you doing the right exercises? Well, exercising during pregnancy helps a woman stay healthy and even get ready for labour. Here are the four exercises to do during pregnancy to prepare you for labour.
1. Squats
Squats help in strengthening your thighs. Women need strong thighs during delivery. Squats can be done at any place. You can do this exercise while supporting yourself on your chair. Make sure your legs are wide apart. While contracting your abdominal muscles, lift your chest up, hold for sometimes and get down again.
2. Backstretch
Backstretch is an exercise done to relieve back pains during pregnancy. Try bending forward keeping your back flat and your legs straight. Make sure you have something to hold yourself on for support. Bend until you feel a stretch in your back. Relax at this position for 30 seconds.
3. Kegel exercises
Every woman needs strong pelvic floor muscles. This can be attained by doing kegel exercises. The good news is that you can do this exercise anywhere. With strong pelvic floor muscles, a woman will not experience a lot of pain during labour. To do simple kegels, sit down with your hips widespread while folding your legs. Maintain this lotus position for several minutes until you feel some stretch on your pelvic floor muscles. Running and walking are other forms of exercise that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
4. Pelvic tilt exercise
Pelvic tilt exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles. Strong abdominal muscles help deal with back pains during pregnancy. Get down on your fours. Make sure both hands and knees are straight. Breathe in while tightening your abdominal muscles. While breathing out, relax your back to ease the muscles. Repeat this several times to achieve the best results.
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