Did you know exercise during pregnancy is critical? Research has indicated that the right workout program can ease back pain, lower the mother’s blood pressure, encourage better sleep and also improve mood. However, this does not mean that you have to observe a rigorous exercise schedule.
Simple, everyday activities can also be turned into a full-fledged workout. In this blog, let’s talk about different variations of just sitting that can help you maintain healthy pregnancy weight.
Sifting
This exercise form is usually done using a rebozo or a large shawl. The pregnant woman is made to kneel down with her hands and head resting on a chair or a yoga ball. The assisting person then needs to wrap the shawl around the mom’s stomach with the tail ends of the fabric resting on the mom’s lower back. Standing over the mom’s calves, the partner holds the tails of the cloth material as you would hold ski poles, and pulls them towards himself exerting pressure on mom’s belly. He then moves his hand in a cycling motion, all the while pulling the fabric towards him. This process continues, till the mom gets tired and releases the yoga ball. This technique is known as sifting. It is critical to continue the bicycling movement for some time, even after the mother leaves the ball. If done regularly, this simple exercise can help in relaxing the muscles and ligaments.
Sitting cross-legged
I know, this hardly sounds like exercise, but trust me if done right it has enormous benefits. You must try to sit on a hard floor with your legs crossed as often as possible. Make sure while seated in this position; your back is straight and that you are not slouching. This simple movement pushes the uterus forward, stretches the legs and helps in opening up the pelvis. The best thing about this exercise is that you can do it anywhere, in any situation and people won’t even know that you are training for delivery. A word of caution here: this exercise is suitable towards the tail end of pregnancy.
Tailor Press
Tailor Press is a form of Kegel exercise that is simple and effective. In this, the mom needs to sit on a hard floor, bend her knees in a manner that both soles of her feet are touching. The next step is to place your hands on the ankles and pull the legs gently towards you. While doing this, the mom must place her hand under the knees. Take deep breaths and release on the count of five. Do at least ten to fifteen repetitions of this exercise for the desired effect. This movement helps in strengthening the pelvic muscles and improving uterus, bladder and bowels.
Therefore, exercise during pregnancy is not as daunting as you may think. Just make slight variations to your daily activities and your workout is done!
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