As an important part of a healthy lifestyle, exercise plays an important role in maintaining and improving the body's cardiorespiratory function and reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension at all stages of life. Pregnant women are also advised to maintain appropriate exercise.

So how to exercise, what to choose, the intensity and duration of exercise control these questions will certainly cause a lot of women's doubts, so today we will learn together the standard pregnancy exercise!

Table of Content:

• Benefits of Exercise during Pregnancy
• Principles of Exercise during Pregnancy
• Precautions for Exercise
• Top 5 exercises during pregnancy

Benefits of Exercise during Pregnancy

In fact, the risks caused by doing exercise during pregnancy are lower than many people think, and doing exercise benefits both the pregnant woman and the fetus.

1, not only can promote the blood circulation and metabolism of the pregnant mother's body, but also contribute to the healthy development of the fetus.
2, help pregnant mothers to control reasonable weight gain, help to keep fit, as well as help to prevent and treat gestational diabetes.
3, exercise skeletal muscles, increase physical strength, help reduce back pain, lower limb edema and other discomforts.
4, help promote digestion and reduce the occurrence of poor appetite and constipation during pregnancy.
5、Help to improve mood, ensure sleep and make the mood comfortable.
6、It helps to exercise labor force, promote natural childbirth and reduce the recovery time after delivery.

Principles of Exercise during Pregnancy

Frequency and intensity of exercise during pregnancy:

• Pregnant women without contraindications to exercise should exercise at moderate intensity for 30 min for 5 days per week during pregnancy.
• Exercise during pregnancy should be of moderate intensity, i.e., the heart rate reaches 60% to 80% of the heart rate reserve (HRR) during exercise, or the perceived exercise intensity score should be 13 to 14.
• For pregnant women whose exercise intensity during pregnancy significantly exceeds the guideline recommendations, exercise should be performed under the guidance and supervision of a professional.

Three principles of exercise during pregnancy:

1. The duration of exercise should not exceed 45 minutes each time per day.
2, the intensity of exercise should be within their ability, based on pre-pregnancy exercise habits in a gradual manner.
3, the way of exercise varies from person to person, and the principle that the mother-to-be does not feel overly fatigued.

Precautions for Exercise

Exercise during pregnancy must be "safe" as a prerequisite.

• The first is environmental safety. Choose the right place to exercise, and avoid exercising in hot and high humidity environments.
• Second is your own physical safety. In any exercise process should include a warm-up and relaxation session. If a pregnant woman feels dizzy, nauseous or uncomfortable while exercising flat on her back, she should adjust her exercise position and avoid the supine position. When pregnant women experience any discomfort during exercise, they should stop the activity and seek medical attention.
• During exercise, pregnant women should maintain adequate water supply and wear loose motherhood maternity clothing.
• Special groups should exercise under the professional guidance of a physician.

Top 5 exercises during pregnancy

1. The most popular sports - swimming

Reasons:

Compared to land exercise, water exercise body burden is small, the pressure on the joints of various parts of the body is reduced, in the easy fat loss at the same time, the chance of injury is also much lower. In addition, take the right way to swim helps pregnant women's blood circulation, reduce swelling of the lower limbs, back pain and other problems that occur during pregnancy.
Most importantly, through the breathing method of swimming and mastering the relaxation method in the water, as well as strengthening the abdominal muscles and lumbar and back muscles, it can help smooth delivery.

Suitable time: mid-pregnancy

Tips:

1. when swimming, pay attention to good sanitary conditions, less people, but also pay attention to the warm water, the general water temperature should be controlled at 30 ℃, this water temperature can avoid the problem of cramps, but also less likely to occur swimming fatigue.
2. Although swimming is good, the time should not be too long, about an hour or so will do, preferably from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, this period of time is not easy for the pregnant woman's uterus tension, in addition, it is best to be accompanied.

2. The most safe, easy and cost-saving exercise - walking, brisk walking

Reasons:

Walking, brisk walking is the safest, convenient and cost-saving way to exercise during pregnancy, and is the favorite of most pregnant women, especially for those who do not like to exercise or have no exercise habits before pregnancy.

Walking or brisk walking can not only exercise to the abdomen, legs and hips, enhance the strength of the core muscles of pregnant mothers, but also promote digestion, blood circulation, enhance cardiopulmonary function, enhance endurance and improve resistance.

Suitable time:

Walking can be done throughout pregnancy, brisk walking is recommended in the middle of pregnancy

Tips:

1. Walking time and distance should be arranged according to individual differences and different gestation periods, it is generally recommended that pregnant women walk 11,000 steps a day.
2. pay attention to the appropriate speed when walking, walking speed control at about 2.25km / h to avoid physical fatigue.
3. To carry out activities in safe places, such as parks, as well as to choose good weather, to avoid external factors triggered by collisions and falls, it is best to be accompanied when walking.

3. The most soothing exercise - yoga

Reason:

Yoga movement can make pregnant women maintain muscle tension, enhance muscle elasticity, stretching, coordination and endurance of legs, hips, back, pelvic floor muscles, etc., so that the mother can control and correct force during labor, and promote natural childbirth. In the process of exercise, you can also relax your mind and keep your mood happy.

Suitable time: middle and late pregnancy

Tips:

1. Yoga is a difficult exercise, so it is recommended to do it under the guidance of professionals.
2. In the process of practicing yoga, you should not hold your breath, do not over squeeze your abdomen, strongly stretch your abdomen and splitting movements. The intensity of the action should be gradual, do not stretch the ligaments excessively, everything to comfortable, not effort.

4. The most interesting exercise - aerobics, slow dance

Reason.

Pregnancy calisthenics and slow dance are more interesting and cheerful ways to exercise, through breathing regulation, muscle relaxation and stretching, exercise the muscle groups that produce muscle strength during childbirth, and at the same time can speed up blood circulation, increase cardiopulmonary function, increase the strength of the muscles of the whole body, so that labor is subsequently shortened. It can also cultivate the correct body posture, coordinate the body's ability to cooperate, and fit the body shape, which is popular among young pregnant mothers.

Suitable time: middle and late pregnancy

Tips:

1.The duration of exercise should be about 20 minutes.
2. Avoid strenuous movements such as jumping and rotating, striding, squatting, strong twisting of the waist and strong stretching of the abdomen.

5. The most fixed movement - stationary bike

Reason:

Fixed bicycle is a relatively painless exercise, buy one to put at home, you can exercise at any time, and the relatively stable design can make pregnant women are not easy to fall.
Cycling can improve cardiorespiratory function, enhance the body's endurance and brain flexibility, improve the sensitivity of the nervous system, and also strengthen the exercise of joints and muscles, consume calories, which is a good way to control weight during pregnancy.

Suitable time: mid-pregnancy

Tips:

1. Pay attention to adjusting the pace spacing when exercising to relieve the pressure on the knees and ankles.
2. Reasonable control of speed to prevent falling from the bike.