Ever feel like you want to take a load off your feet? Are you searching for a safe pregnant exercise? By getting into water, your heavy, pregnant body will feel like it's floating!
If you are looking for a safe exerciseduring pregnancy, then swimming is the answer for you. I swam laps in a pool several times a week, up until 2 days before giving birth. Swimming during pregnancy kept my weight down, I never developed stretch marks, and I was in very good health. At age 36, and having had 2 miscarriages and 1 ectopic pregnancy, this seemed very remarkable for me.
To view beautiful maternity bathing suits to wear for swimming for pregnant exercise, click here. Swimming is a great pregnant exercise as it is extremely low impact. When you jog, or even walk, your legs are hitting the ground and it is moving your body around, including your stomach. If you want to have a safe pregnancy, and avoid any trauma to your unborn baby, then you should definetely swim as your pregnant exercise.
Low-impact exercises like swimming don't involve a lot of stretching, bouncing or bending your joints. This is very helpful as connective tissues in your joints can stretch much more easily during pregnancy. This means that high-impact and high-resistance exercises can increase your risk of joint injury.
Swimming is a safe exercise during pregnancy as it allows you to feel weightlessness, despite weighing more than you probably ever have. In this respect, there is no impact when you swim , whereas any other pregnant exercise has some impact to your body.
Also, swimming is especially good for women suffering from swollen ankles or for whom weight gain has made exercising more difficult.
Why Should I Even Exercise?
You may be asking yourself - "If I don't want any trauma to my body, then why should I exercise at all when I'm pregnant? Why don't I take it easy and just lay around as much as I can?"
Good question! But laying around is not good for you or your baby because:
You need to keep your body from gaining any additional weight that may be difficult to lose after your delivery
You should keep your body fit and strong to prepare for the rigorous physical "exercise" of delivery. Believe me, you don't just lay there and the baby slides out. It is physical work to push that child, and it often goes on for hours. You need to have physical endurance, both in strength of your muscles and in cardiovascular health, so you don't tire as easily.
Swimming during pregnancy helps to keep your body fit so you don't develop any serious complications, such as pre-eclampsia.
Swimming during pregnancy helps to improve your oxygen circulation, which in turn delivers more oxygen to your baby, helping him/her to grow stronger and healthier.
Swimming during pregnancy helps you to sleep better. The bigger you get, the more uncomfortable it is to sleep in your pre-pregnancy positions, and many women don't sleep well. The cardiovascular benefits of swimming help you to sleep better in different positions.
Which Strokes are Best?
If you are an experienced swimmer, these are the best strokes to use as a safe exercise during pregnancy:
Breast Stroke - it is better than the crawl as you don't have to rotate your body
Backstroke - expecially beneficial as a pregnant exercise in the 3rd trimester as it lengthens your chest muscles (This helps as you may experience breathing problems when your baby pushes up against your lungs, so the more room you have - the better you can breathe.)
The backstroke also shortens your back muscles. (This helps as your body is thrown of its regular axis and assumes a different position in order to stand.)
Kicks with the kickboard - great for the lower back. This pregnant exercise involves holding the kickboard in front of you, and with your stomach facing down, kicking the entire length of the pool.
How Much Time Should I Swim per Day?
You can swim up to 30 minutes per day. Wear a heart monitor bracelet and make sure your heartbeat doesn't go higher than 140 beats per minute. You don't need to swim fast.
If you are not an experienced swimmer, and do not know the strokes, you can still exercise in the water, by joining a water aerobics class. You will still gain the benefits of this great pregnant exercise.
Water Exercises for Non-Swimmers
Walking in Water - just walking in the water strengthens your abdominal muscles and lower back. Walk or jog as quickly as you can for 15 seconds, then do it slowly for 15 seconds. Do this for 3-4 minutes then rest. Repeat until you have done this for 30 minutes.
Arm Lifts - this pregnant exercise in water is to be done while you are walking in the water. Just hold a small kickboard horizontally in the water. While walking or jogging, push the kickboard in front of you - trying to keep it straight. Alternate with zig-zagging the board in front of you and then keeping it straight, in 15 second intervals.
For example, while you are walking in the water for 15 seconds, you would zig-zag the kickboard horizontally in the water. Then when you jog in the water for the next 15 seconds, you would hold the kickboard straight in front of you.
Stepping - This pregnant exercise strengthens the buttocks and upper part of your legs. Stand in the shallow end of the pool facing the stairs. Step up onto the lowest step, and then back down. Repeat 10 times, slowly, leading with the right leg, and then 10 times leading with the left.
Sideways Stepping - Turn sideways, so the stairs are on your right, and step up, leading with the right leg; repeat with the left. Lastly, turn away from the step and step up backward, again, 10 times leading with the right leg and 10 times with the left.
Tip: Keep your hands above the water to make your pregnant exercise more challenging.
Where Can I Find a Water Exercise Class Near Me?
Contact the following places and ask if they have prenatal aquatic classes. If not, then you can just go to the pool and do the above exercises yourself.
Aquatic Exercise Association. Email a representative at info@aeawave.org and request a list of certified instructors in your area.
The Jewish Community Center Association. Visit http://www.jcca.org for a listing of JCCs with pools in your area. YMCA. To find the pool and class near you, visit http://www.ymca.net or find one in your yellow pages. Some Ys include class schedules on their sites.
A lot of local schools and parks have swimming pools, as well. Check your local parks and recreation department for classes.
Gym America. The Benefits of Water Workouts. http://www.gymamerica.com/gti/magazine/magazine_feature/0,3287,1_cid_154,00.html.
Health and Fitness Association. Strategic Advisors. http://www.ideafit.com/about_stratadvisors.asp.
Healthy Pregnancy. The First Trimester. http://www.4woman.gov/Pregnancy/print-pg.cfm?page=first
Immunesupport.com. Water Workout Offers Benefits For Fibromyalgia and More. http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/5418/e/1/T/CFIDS_FM/.
Mayo Clinic. Aquatic exercises and equipment. http://www.mayoclinic.com
Mayo Clinic. Aquatic exercise: Gentle on your bones, joints and muscles. http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=A3745E3B-4693-4E32-B3774078984280F6.
Mayo Clinic. Ready to take the plunge? http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=ACBB56BE-35D0-48E5-88ACBE5DA80FC96E
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University of Nevada-Reno. Sanford Center for Aging. http://www.unr.edu/sanford/golden/.
To view beautiful maternity bathing suits to wear for swimming for pregnant exercise, click here.