Exercises During Pregnancy For A Normal And Natural Delivery

1. Go for a Pre-Exercise Screening

Pre-exercise screening identifies people with medical conditions. It works like a safety net to let the woman know whether she is eligible for exercise or not. Further, you can consult your doctor before starting physical activities.

2. Set up Goals

When it comes to fetching the maximum benefits from exercising, setting goals will keep you on track, resulting in achieving desired outcomes. It’s better to talk to your physical therapist so you can follow a customizable routine intended to accomplish the goals.

3. Begin Exercising Slowly

It’s suggested to start exercising gently. Know what exercises you can perform well and follow them for a short session. Amp up your fitness and confidence level by doing the activities for a few short sessions. If your fitness level is low, you can seek professional help to minimize risks.

4. Warm-up and Cool Down

Any exercise starts with a nice warm-up followed by a cool-down. Warm-up prepares your body to initiate and perform any movement. Typically, a 10-minute warm-up combined with 30-35 minutes of main exercise routine and cool down can enhance body fitness, suggests a BMC (BioMed Central) paper [1].

5. Wear a Proper Outfit

Ensure you wear comfortable clothes and shoes that don’t restrict your movement while exercising. Your footwear must allow a full range of motion while providing support.

6. Diet and Nutrition

Exercising during pregnancy requires energy, and a balanced diet can fulfill your nutritional requirements. A wholesome meal will give you the energy to execute your workout efficiently. Additionally, drinking sufficient water will prevent dehydration and maintain the body’s functionality. Typically, it’s recommended to have 8 to 10 glasses of water each day [2].

Top 10 Exercises for a Normal Delivery

Normal delivery is a highly anticipated event for any pregnant woman. Engaging in exercises that are specifically designed to promote normal delivery ensures smooth labor. Below are some exercises that you should know while planning a workout routine.

1. Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises like running, walking, etc., require oxygen during the activity. These increase blood circulation, resulting in better metabolism and strengthening muscles. Aerobic exercises during pregnancy may reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes like Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and gestational hypertension (GH), causes associated with maternal morbidity and mortality [3]. Pregnant women may have an aerobic workout routine for at least 150 minutes a week, ideally a 30-minute session for 5 days.

2. Prenatal Yoga

If you want to feel relaxed during pregnancy while improving your mental and physical health, prenatal yoga sounds like a good option to try. Your prenatal yoga session may involve activities such as special breathing techniques, slow stretching, and posture maintenance. Typically, practicing yoga 3 times a week may lead to better pregnancy outcomes [4].

3. Breathing Exercises

Some common breathing techniques, such as deep, slow, and accelerated breathing, help improve oxygen levels in the body. Furthermore, these techniques organize breaths and strengthen abdominal muscles for an easy delivery.

4. Butterfly Pose

Butterfly pose or Badhakonasana is a prenatal yoga pose typically recommended during the latter trimester. The exercise strengthens the hip muscles and improves their flexibility. It boosts the power and ROM (range of motion) of the inner thighs and groin to ease delivery [5]. You may perform this pose two to three times at a position hold of 30 seconds for a nice stretch.

5. Kneeling push-ups

Various push-up techniques can be performed in different trimesters. However, kneeling push-ups may highly be suitable for the first trimester as the growing bump doesn’t restrict movement. The workout increases abdominal muscle strength and endurance while stabilizing posture and reducing back pain.

6. Kegels

Kegels are effective in supporting your weak pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can prevent or treat conditions like urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence, which are common during or after pregnancy [6]. These exercises are simple and involve squeezing, holding, and relaxing the muscles.

7. Squats

Lower body resistance exercises like squats focus on strengthening core muscles and increasing the ROM of lower limb joints. Squats maintain the strength of hips, pelvic floor muscles, and glutes that facilitate the birthing process. Performing 2 to 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions might be a good start to activate your muscle strength.

8. Pelvic Tilts

Pelvic tilt exercises are meant to stabilize the correct pelvis position while alleviating pain and stiffness. These techniques reduce muscle weakness and stress on soft tissues.

9. Pelvic Stretches

Tackling pelvic girdle pain, such as low back ache, becomes easy with pelvic stretches. For most women, starting with slow and gradual stretches up to 10 repetitions every day works fine. Pelvic stretches like low back, torso, and backward stretch are simple to do.

10. Strengthening Exercises

Few common strengthening exercises, such as leg raises, wall push ups, side planks, step-ups, etc., boost fitness. These increase muscle tone and strength to promote a normal delivery.

Precautions to Take While Exercising During Pregnancy

Exercising is good during pregnancy to achieve your fitness goals. However, it comes with a few precautions to ensure maximum safety. These include;

1. Avoid overheating while exercising. Drinking enough amount of water before, during, and after the exercise and wearing comfortable clothes help regulate temperature.
2. Avoid standing still for a prolonged duration. Doing so may cause blood to collect in the large veins in the legs and feet, thereby reducing blood pressure for a short period.
3. Stop immediately if you feel dizzy, tired, or fatigued.
4. Consult your doctor before planning a workout. Plus, you can seek a professional physiotherapist’s help to create a customized exercise plan based on the prescribed guidelines [7].

There are endless benefits of exercising during pregnancy. Regular exercising can reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and support normal delivery. You may need to create a new workout plan or modify the existing one to accomplish your fitness targets. Your healthcare provider can assist you in boosting your health, contributing to easy and normal delivery.

FAQ’s

1. Which Month To Start Exercise During Pregnancy For Normal Delivery?

You can start exercising during the first trimester and may want to continue throughout the journey. However, the first and second trimesters may feel easy for some women as the symptoms of nausea and vomiting start reducing. Typically, the early pregnancy stage is the best time to indulge in exercising.

2. How Can I Prepare My Body For Normal Delivery?

Working out regularly is one of the ways to ensure a normal delivery. It increases flexibility and builds muscle strength for a comfortable childbirth.

3. How Can I Increase My Chances Of Normal Delivery?

A regular exercising routine paired with a balanced diet can help increase the chances of a normal delivery. Plus, getting enough sleep, indulging in recreational activities, etc., can reduce stress levels, further ensuring a safe pregnancy experience.

References – 

1. Physical activity during pregnancy: a systematic review for the assessment of current evidence with future recommendations
   [https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-022-00524-z]
2. Nutrition Column An Update on Water Needs during Pregnancy and Beyond
   [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595116/]
3. Effects of aerobic exercise performed during pregnancy on hypertension and gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
   [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37067246/]
4. Systematic Review of Yoga for Pregnant Women: Current Status and Future Directions
   [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3424788/]
5. Yoga And Pranayama During Pregnancy
   [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358047495_YOGA_AND_PRANAYAMA_DURING_PREGNANCY]
6. Prenatal and Postpartum Experience, Knowledge and Engagement with Kegels: A Longitudinal, Prospective, Multisite Study
   [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8336225/]
7. Guidelines for Physical Activity during Pregnancy: Comparisons From Around the World
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4206837/