The importance of exercise during pregnancy cannot be overemphasised. As the body grows and the mother-to-be gains weight, regular exercises help her remain healthy and comfortable.
Exercise helps tone and strengthen the muscles most affected by pregnancy, including those in the pelvic floor, the abdomen and the lower back. It also helps maintain good respiration, circulation and posture. With good pelvic muscle tone, rotation of the baby in labor is easier and hence the woman is more likely to have an easier vaginal delivery.
Although prenatal exercises and physical fitness do not guarantee as easy labor, they may give the mother more stamina to cope with a long, hard labor and more awareness to help work with the body during labor.
The exercising women have a higher level of endorphins; the body’s natural pain relieving substance, one of the major benefits of prenatal exercise comes after birth.
Recovering energy levels, strength and pre-pregnant size is unquestionably easier when one has maintained good physical condition during pregnancy.
Breathing exercises also help in improving the mother's lung capacity and her efforts at pushing and the baby's oxygenation. In labor, they help calm the mother and relax the pelvic floor as well as the cervix.
Yoga:
Be sensible. Do not overstrain.
Be adaptable. On certain days the baby’s position might make it more uncomfortable to perform certain Asanas. Do not push yourself.
Do the Asanas regularly. Do not perform to the level of exhaustion or be too lazy.
Perform the Asanas in an airy room, in a relaxed comfortable manner.
Perform Asanas in a rhythmic non jerky manner. Avoid sudden movements.
Turn to your side while getting up from any lying down position.
Perform the Asana on a covered surface like a mat or a rug
Perform the Asanas at least 2 hours before any meal. Divide the Asanas into groups and do them according to your convenience throughout the day.
Perform each Asana correctly but do not get discouraged if it is not perfect.
Encourage self to do more of pelvic floor strengthening Asanas like the Sukhasana, Padmasana and Utkatasana.
Perform the stretching Asanas gently while inhaling.
Do not perform any Asana which compress the abdomen.
Stop all Asanas in case of severe pain, or vaginal bleeding and consult the physician urgently.
What we offer at GyneGuide
Supervised exercise program by our Occupational Therapist and Prenatal Fitness Consultant.
Yoga with breathing exercises for pregnancy and labor.
Exercises to improve breast feeding results.