Exercising For Two

DO:

• Drink enough water before, during and after exercise.
• Start exercise very gently, and stretch down and cool off properly afterwards.
• Exercise regularly rather than intensely; regular gentle activity is better for you than occasional intensive bursts.
• Add Kegel/pelvic floor exercises into your routine; aim for three sets of 10 repetitions a day. Kegel exercises are simple – just hold and relax your pelvic floor muscle as though you are stopping and starting the flow of urine.
• Stop exercising immediately if you feel pain, experience bleeding or feel unwell.

DON’T:

• Exercise in the heat of the day; if you’re exercising outside, stick to early mornings and evenings when temperatures are cooler.
• Overstretch. Your body produces a hormone called relaxin when you’re pregnant, which can make you feel more supple than you actually are.
• Do high impact, jerky exercise like high intensity aerobics after your first trimester. Low impact exercise – where you keep at least one foot on the floor at all times – is fine as long as you feel comfortable.
• Do anything where you risk falling or hurting yourself, e.g. competitive team sports, horseriding or skiing.
• Exercise without consulting your doctor, or if you have risk factors in your pregnancy such as placenta praevia.
• Sit in hot tubs or saunas, lift heavy weights or lie on your stomach.
• Obsess about your weight. Weight gain of 25lbs to 35lbs is perfectly healthy.

Kegels
Sit on a stability ball and concentrate on your pelvic muscle, imagine you are trying to stop the flow of urine, contract your muscles and relax. Repeat 10-20 times. Aim for at least three sets every day.

Bridge
Lie down with your arms by your side and feet resting on the floor. Inhale and lift your hips and back off the ground. Hold for a few counts. Exhale and gently roll your spine back onto the ground.

Hamstring Stretch
Sit on the floor with one leg straight in front of you and the other bent. Bring the sole of one foot toward your groin so you’re comfortable and can sit squarely on both hips. Gently stretch forward reaching for your toes. Place a towel around your heel and hold one end in each hand if stretching is difficult for you.

Squats
Lower your bottom like you are going to sit on a chair, stop at the midway point and hold for 10 seconds, slowly return to the starting position. Aim for two sets of 10. Hold on to the back of a chair if you need extra stability.

Bound Angle Pose
Sit on your mat with the soles of the feet together. Bring your heels close to the groin. Hold your feet with your hands and (with a straight spine) begin to gently bend forwards from the hips – only as much as is comfortable.

Leg Raise
Lift your leg up and hold it parallel to the ground. Raise your leg up and down several times. This is useful for maintaining strength and flexibility.