Pregnancy changes life of every girl.During pregnancy your body experiences dramatic physiological changes. These are natural changes, but they may have a significant impact on the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments as they become softer, allowing your baby to grow and your body to change.
Your abdominal muscles become stretched decreasing their ability to contract and keep your lower back in proper alignment. Your pelvic floor muscles become strained with the increasing weight of the baby.Almost all women experience some musculoskeletal discomfort during pregnancy, and as many as 25% of all pregnant women experience debilitating pain. Ailments which arises during this delicate period are
1) low back pain- The most condition experienced during pregnancy is low back pain , which increases after the third trimester as the centre of gravity shift due to belly size.
2) Pain in the sacroiliac joint: This pain is usually concentrated in the buttock region, during pregnancy, due to excessive hormone release, the body's connective tissue tend to relax so that the muscles can stretch to aid in delivery.
3) sciatica- Continous pressure or strain on the sciatic nerve can lead to backache and weakness, numbness and tingling in the leg .
4) carpal tunnel syndrome - build up of excessive fluid results in swelling of the carpal tunnel in the wrist. You may experience symptoms like pain,numbness, tingling around your wrist and hand
●Exercises during pregnancy which will help you out from above health issues and uncomplicated deleivery
QUADRUPED ARM AND LEG RAISE
Get down on your hands and knees. Tighten your abdominal muscles to stiffen your spine. While
keeping your abdominals tight, raise one arm and the opposite leg away from you. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Lower your arm and leg slowly and alternate sides. Do this 10 times on each side.
MODIFIED PUSH-UP
Get onto your hands and knees, with your hands directly below your shoulders. Slowly bend your arms and lower yourself toward the floor, being careful to keep your spine straight. When you can do 2 sets of 15 easily, do this with your feet off the floor. Gradually progress to doing regular push-ups with your legs out straight.
LUNGE
Stand and take a large step forward with your right leg. Dip your left knee down toward the floor and bend your right leg. Return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise stepping forward with the left leg and dipping your right leg down toward the floor. Do 3 sets of 10 on each side.
WALL SQUAT
Stand with your back, shoulders, and head against a wall and look straight ahead. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your feet 1 foot away from the wall and a shoulder's width apart. Keeping your head against the wall, slide down the wall. Lower your buttocks toward the floor until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Make sure to tighten your thigh muscles as you slowly slide back up to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10. Increasing the amount of time you are in the lowered position helps strengthen your quadriceps muscles.
HEEL RAISE
Balance yourself while standing behind a chair or counter. Using the chair to help you, raise your body up onto your toes and hold for 5 seconds. Then slowly lower yourself down without holding onto the chair. (Keep holding onto the chair or counter if you need to.) Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10. Rest 30 seconds between sets.
ROWING EXERCISE
Close middle of elastic tubing in a door or wrap tubing around an immovable object. Hold 1 end in each hand. Sit in a chair, bend your arms 90 degrees, and hold one end of the tubing in each hand. Keep your forearms vertical and your elbows at shoulder level and bent to 90 degrees. Pull backward on the band and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Do 3 sets of 10.
THORACIC EXTENSION
While sitting in a chair, clasp both arms behind your head. Gently arch backward and look up toward the ceiling. Repeat 10 times. Do this several times each day
ARM SLIDE ON WALL
Sit or stand with your back against a wall and your elbows and wrists against the wall. Slowly slide your arms upward as high as you can while keeping your elbows and wrists against the wall.
Do 3 sets of 10.
SHOULDER ABDUCTION
Stand with your arms at your sides. Rest your palms against your sides. Hold a 2 to 4-pound weight in each hand. Keeping your arms straight, lift your arms out to the side and toward the ceiling. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then slowly bring your arms down. Repeat 10 times.
BICEPS CURL
Stand and hold a 5- to 8-pound weight in your hand. If you do not have a weight use a soup can or hammer. Bend your elbow and bring your hand (palm up) toward your shoulder. Hold 5 seconds. Slowly straighten your arm and return to your starting position. Repeat on the other side. Do 3 sets of 10.
Another important exercise during pregnancy is the Kegels exercise. It strengthens your pelvic muscles. You can do Kegels anywhere--while you sit at a desk, wait for a bus, wash dishes, drive a car, wait in line, or watch TV. No one will know you are doing them. Here's how you do them:
1) You can feel the muscles that need to be exercised by squeezing the muscles in your genital area. It might help to pretend you are stopping a flow of urine or trying to stop from passing gas.
2)Tighten these muscles and hold for 3 to 5 seconds. Then relax the muscles completely. Tighten and relax these muscles at least 10 to 20 times a day.
Do these sets of exercises 10 times a day. One of the best things you can do for yourself and your unborn child during pregnancy is exercise. There are numerous studies that show that women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to have easy labor and deliveries and faster recoveries.
Before you start any exercise program during pregnancy it is essential that you consult with your healthcare provider. For some women it may be more dangerous than beneficial to exercise during pregnancy.
Once you get the go ahead from your doctor, you can embark on an exercise program that is suitable to your stage in pregnancy.
BENEFITS:
1)Exercise helps combat fatigue
2)Exercise helps minimize back pain because it helps strengthen back muscles
3) Exercise can help promote a smaller amount of fat gain during pregnancy
4)Exercise provides an exceptional form of stress relief
5) Women who exercising during pregnancy are less likely to experience difficult labors
6)Women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster and recover more quickly after delivery
BEST EXERCISES
1) Walking
2) Swimming
3) Stretching
4) Yoga
5) Pilates
6) Dancing
7) Stationary Cycling
8) Low Impact Prenatal Aerobics
STRENGTH-TRAINING EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY
Perform all exercises at least three times a week, on alternate days, on a firm (but not too hard) surface, such as an exercise mat. Perform them in the following order.
Be sure to breathe normally during all exercises; don't hold your breath. During abdominal exercises, it may be easier to exhale on exertion, that is, inhale when you are down and exhale briskly as you perform the lift.
The following exercises work all major muscle groups. Don't skip any!
HAMSTRING LIFT
Start with 5 repetitions and increase to 20.
1.Rest on your hands and knees, with your back flat and abdominal muscles squeezed tightly (do not let your abdominal muscles hang loose).
2.With your foot flexed, extend your left leg straight behind you.
3.Keeping your back flat, lift your left leg up until it is level with your back. At the same time, shift your weight to your left arm.
4. Lower your leg. Repeat several times.
5. Change sides and repeat, shifting your weight to your right arm.
INNER THIGH LIFT
Start with 5 repetitions; increase to 2