Leg Workout During Pregnancy – Is It Safe?

Advantages of Leg Workouts During Pregnancy?

Building power in your lower limbs is essential during pregnancy. Leg workouts can increase strength and improve functionality while helping to reduce pregnancy symptoms, such as stress or pain. Below are some benefits of leg workouts during pregnancy.

1. Tackling Pelvic Floor Weakness

After delivery, your pelvic floor muscles weaken. This can lead to involuntary urine or bowel leakage. Besides, you may encounter low back pain, pelvic pressure, and discomfort. Leg workouts like Kegels can help deal with such problems by building control of muscles (1).

2. Managing Pelvic Tilt

Most women can experience anterior pelvic tilt as the baby bump grows. This puts pressure on the pelvis, tilting it forward. Plus, this overstretches hamstrings, causing stiffness and pain. Exercises like Pilates are effective in stabilizing hip joints which decrease pain and muscle stress (2).

3. Improving Balance and Control

Boosting strength in your gluteal and leg muscles improves control and coordination. This will reduce the risks of falls by reducing muscle weakness. Leg exercises can enhance your stability and help you walk easily.

4. Enhancing Blood Circulation

Pregnancy leg workouts increase blood circulation which helps maintain the normal body’s physiological functions. This can reduce the sense of pain and swelling. Plus, it may decrease the chances of circulatory problems like varicose veins and leg cramps. Enhanced blood flow in the body boosts cardiovascular health, removes toxins, and circulates oxygen and nutrients required by the growing fetus (3).

Disadvantages of Leg Workouts During Pregnancy

Despite having endless benefits, leg workouts may impose some risks when not done correctly. Sometimes, leg workouts may lead to conditions like muscle cramps, chest pain, vaginal bleeding, fast breathing, and tummy tightness (4). Such conditions may complicate pregnancy. Hence, it’s good to seek medical assistance to avoid such circumstances.

4 Best Exercises to Strengthen Legs During Pregnancy

The best leg workouts during pregnancy support muscles and strengthen them to ensure safe delivery. These exercises target important muscles, including hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. Some of these leg-strengthening exercises include;

1. Squats

Squats build strength in your inner core and pelvic floor. It’s a great prenatal exercise and relieves pressure on the back (5). Here’s how to do it:-

1. Keep your toes apart while stabilizing your body.
2. Bend your knees slowly as if you’re trying to sit on a chair.
3. Once you end a squat (to the full bending range of motion), hold the position for a few seconds.
4. You can perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

2. Gluteal Bridge

As the name suggests, gluteal bridge exercise works primarily on gluteal muscles. To perform this;

1. Lie down on a flat surface facing the ceiling.
2. Bend your knees, keeping your feet flat on the surface.
3. Lift your back while squeezing your glutes.
4. Hold the position for a while and put your back down.
5. Performing 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions every day is a good headstart.

3. Side Planks

Side planks stabilize the pelvis and spine. They target internal and external oblique muscles (one of the abdominal muscles). These exercises increase the core’s flexibility for a pain-free and stable pregnancy journey (6). To do this, follow the given steps;

1. Lie on either side, left or right, resting your forearm in the front. Your elbow will be flexed (contracted) and placed below the shoulder joint.
2. Your head and legs should align in a straight line.
3. Lift your trunk, hips, and thighs in the same line while contracting your abdominals.
4. Stay in the position for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat the exercise.
5. Repeat the same on the other side.
6. You can do 10 to 15 repetitions daily.

4. Stepping Lunges

Stepping lunges is one of the ideal exercises that strengthens nearly all major muscles of the lower body. They work on weight-bearing joints and help provide steadiness and firmness in women (7). Here are the steps to do stepping lunges;

1. Stand on your feet.
2. Keep the distance between your feet around 15 to 20 cm. They can be hip-width apart.
3. Take a wide step forward with your left foot while bending your knee.
4. Extend your right leg at the same time to maintain balance.
5. Keep your trunk straight (perpendicular) while doing this motion. Lower yourself down until your thigh (extended one) lies parallel to the floor.
6. Hold the position for 10 seconds and get back to the normal position.
7. Repeat the same with the other half and perform 10 to 12 repetitions on each side.

Precautions To Take During Pregnancy Leg Workouts

Exercising during pregnancy is effective in reducing pain, strengthening muscles, and preparing yourself for a painless delivery experience. However, there are a few precautions that you take while performing leg workouts during pregnancy:-

1. Before beginning any workout routine, it’s crucial to seek medical advice.
2. Avoid high-risk exercises like jumping, skipping, contact sports, jarring motions, etc.
3. Stretch your body before and after exercising to avoid strain and stress.
4. Avoid overstretching your body. Exercise as much as you can without going beyond your limit. Further, stop exercising if you’re feeling unwell.
5. Wear comfortable clothes while exercising. Plus, you can wear fitted shoes and footwear to minimize the risk of injury.
6. Keep your breathing normal during the workout.
7. Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water before beginning your exercise routine.
8. Avoid exercising in extreme climates.

Pregnancy leg workouts during pregnancy keep your lower body strong and prepare it to overcome the challenges. Practicing these exercises regularly tones your muscles and enhances balance and control during and after childbirth. Further, it’s good to ask your doctor first to check your eligibility and unlock maximum benefits.

FAQ’s

1. Who Should Not Do Leg Workouts During Pregnancy?

Leg workouts are safe, however, they might not be suitable in conditions like sciatica, preterm labor, vaginal bleeding, etc. Furthermore, if you have severe anemia, gestational hypertension, or heart and lung disease, it’s better to avoid leg workouts.

2. Is Leg Press Ok When Pregnant?

Leg press might not be suitable during critical phases of pregnancy. Before doing any high-intensity exercise like leg press, consider consulting your healthcare provider.

3. Does Stretching Legs Affect Pregnancy?

If you have a normal pregnancy, stretching your legs and lower limb muscles can help you stay fit and active. However, it may not be advised in a high-risk pregnancy.

References-

1. Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8743604/

2. Effect of Home-Based Tele-Pilates Intervention on Pregnant Women: A Pilot Study
   https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/1/125

3. The Effect of Exercise Training During Pregnancy to Improve Maternal Vascular Health: Focus on Gestational Hypertensive Disorders
   https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.00450/full

4. Pregnancy And Exercise
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430821/

5. Squatting, pelvic morphology and a reconsideration of childbirth difficulties
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9154243/

6. The relative activation of pelvic floor muscles during selected yoga poses
   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174438812300049X

7. Effects of an 8-week lunge exercise on an unstable support surface on lower-extremity muscle function and balance in middle-aged women
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9925109/