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See a set of safe, pregnant women strengthening exercises that you can do at home without any extra equipment. Before you start exercising, however, ask yourself whether you were doing sports before you became pregnant, because this will determine the type of activity you choose during pregnancy.

Strengthening exercises in pregnancy: before you start

What should I remember before exercising? Pay attention to your heart rate while exercising: if you are pregnant, the pace should not exceed 140 beats per minute. It is very easy to reach this level by exercising, so be very careful.

Another factor that should be borne in mind are hormonal changes in the mother's body and their impact not only on the mental well-being, but also on the functioning of the entire body. Even if you feel well pregnant, remember that your body produces relaxin. It is a hormone responsible for preparing the pelvic joints for childbirth, and it also relaxes all ligaments. This can result in more frequent dislocations (because the joints are more susceptible to them) and falls. Strictly avoid any exercise that may cause any abdominal trauma.

Exercise in pregnancy

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Joanna Gacyk, fitness trainer, explains what the intensity of pregnancy should depend on

I always recommend future mothers to reflect on their activity for a few years back before starting the exercises and to answer honestly the questions: did I avoid physical education classes as a teenager? Was sport important to me also before I got pregnant? The answer to these questions is so important, because it depends on what activity the expectant mother should choose in order to strengthen her body and prepare for childbirth, not to harm herself and the baby.

If you are one of the women who have never liked physical exertion or have practiced sports sporadically and decided to change your attitude towards sports during pregnancy, you should think carefully about your plan. It is best to use the help and care of a specialist, i.e. a qualified instructor. Choose one who has the appropriate knowledge, experience and qualifications to conduct classes with pregnant women. In your situationyou should focus on walking, relaxing and very quiet exercise under the supervision of a trainer. It is obligatory to consult selected exercises with the doctor in charge of pregnancy.

A wider range of sports options are available to women who were very active before they became pregnant. If you are one of them, you do not need to be encouraged to exercise, even if it requires more effort - of course, do not count on being as active now as you were before you became pregnant. You will certainly need to reduce the intensity of training and eliminate those activities that may endanger you and your baby - remember that during pregnancy, the body makes extra effort, and some exercises can be even dangerous.

Since you've been quite active (or even very much) for a long time, your body is used to movement. So you don't take big risks by returning to a sporty lifestyle during pregnancy. Plus, when you exercise, you'll feel much better. Why? The answer is simple - serotonin is responsible for this state of affairs. So if you've always been active, your body will probably start to demand exercise quite quickly because of the serotonin deficiency. In the absence of contraindications to exercise, you can continue practicing your favorite sport.

Strengthening exercises - training proposal for pregnant women

A very good suggestion for exercise is effort to strengthen the muscles of the whole body. It is important to start each activity with a warm-up that will prepare our body, joints and muscles for further physical exertion. We usually start with walking and then move on to very simple exercises.

See descriptions and photos illustrating individual exercises

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Pregnancy