Exercises for your pregnancy

These 5 exercises are designed by the team of midwives at Instituto Bernabeu so that you can work on your flexibility during pregnancy and get ready for the birth with only ten minutes a day. It’s very simple; you only need comfortable clothing and an exercise ball. Consult with your doctor whether or not you should be engaging in light exercise.

1. Strengthening your abdominal muscles

The first exercise that we will start with is to build up your abdominal muscles.

Lie down on the floor with your legs on the exercise ball. From this position, lie down, flex your torso, exhaling slowly, and return to your original position inhaling.

Now we will slowly do 12 crunches. You can place your hands behind your head or touching your knees while flexing your torso. Remember that during the first trimesters of the pregnancy, you have to be very careful to not make any abrupt movements.

2. Toning your gluteus muscles

Now we’re going to move on to the 2^nd exercise, toning your gluteus muscles. With your knees on the floor, support your arms on the ball. Now we can start, let’s start with the right leg. Inhale, lift your leg, flexing, until reaching the height of your hip. Exhale, do 12 reps.

(You will find your exercise ball very useful, not only for working out, but it will be a comfortable place for you to sit when you are in advanced stages of your pregnancy. It allows you to sit with your pelvis level with or slightly higher than your knees, leaving the baby more room to move. It will also be a key tool for you during the late stages of labour.)

Now switch legs and do another 12 reps. Don’t forget to inhale on the way up and exhale on the way down.

3. Toning your quadriceps.

Sit on the ball and extend your knee. Inhale on the way up, hold your leg up for a few seconds and exhale on the way down.

(Do 12 reps with each leg.)

(Remember that it is important to work out if you want to stay strong and healthy throughout your pregnancy. Nevertheless, you need to do light workouts, especially because your new figure makes it difficult to move around, and also for safety. You don’t want to pull your abdominal muscles.)

4. Toning your hip abductors.

Sit on the floor with your back straight, place the ball in between your legs and arms. You’re now going to squeeze the ball with your legs, trying to bring them together 12 times while exhaling.

5. Strengthening your back.

Sit on the ball with your back straight and your abs tightened. Take a towel and hold it by its ends. Hold your arms at the height of your chest, and pull towards the sides. First to the right, and then to the left, always keeping your shoulder blades together.

Excellent! We’re all done. If you have any questions regarding your pregnancy, log on to the pregnancy section of the Instituto Bernabeu website.

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For further information, consult our website: www.institutobernabeu.com/en/