Fitness in pregnancy

At 37, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, made news when she got back to work within weeks of delivering her first child. In this era of prenatal exercise videos and workshops, most women know that exercise during pregnancy is safe. Yet when it comes to the particulars, most are not too comfortable with the thought of getting into a fitness routine.

To put your mind at ease, I can share my own experience and the benefits of exercising during my pregnancy. Pregnant women who exercise have less back pain, more energy, a better body image and post delivery a faster return to their pre-pregnancy shape.

To achieve all of this, you really don’t need big time commitment or fancy equipment. I am sharing a set of easy-to-do workouts, which can be done in each trimester. For optimum benefits, follow the set of exercises in accordance with the pictures shown and do these every day.

On a precautionary note, check with your doctor before starting this or any other exercise programme. Also, drink enough water and healthy liquids, such as juices and milk, throughout the day and most importantly, never skip a hearty breakfast.

Plie  

■ Stand with the support of a sturdy chair, with the hand closest to chair resting on it

■ Keep your feet parallel and hip-distance apart

■ With your toes and knees turned out to 45 degrees, pull your belly button up and inwards

■ Bend your knees, lowering your torso as low as possible while keeping our back straight

■ Straighten your legs to return position, which is one rep

Suggested repetitions:

10 x 3 sets

Strengthens and tones:

Thighs, hamstrings and butt; also improves balance

Standing side-leg lift

■ Stand beside a sturdy chair or table to maintain balance and safety

■ Keep your feet hips width apart and knees soft

■ Slowly lift one leg sideways away from body

■ Make sure not to lift too high, feel the tension in your butt and sides

■ Come back to starting position, which is one rep

Suggested repetitions:

10x3 for each leg

Strengthens and tones:

Inner and outer thighs, shreds your love handles

Kickbacks

■ Place a sturdy chair in front of you

■ Take the support of the chair's back and place one knee on it

■ Lean forward slightly

■ Hold one dumbbell in the other arm, now stabilise the upper arm close to the body and slowly extend or kick your arm back

■ As you extend your arm, feel the tension in your triceps, come back to starting position

Suggested repetitions:

10x2

Strengthens and tones:

Triceps (arms)

Sitting bicep curl

■ Sit on a chair, make sure your back is neither arched or hunched, keep it upright

■ Hold light to medium weight dumbbells (1-3 kg) in your hands, keeping them close to body

■ With knuckles facing down, slowly lift both dumbbells towards shoulders and feel the tension in your bicep

■ Come back with your arm extended downwards, which is one rep

Suggested repetitions:

10x2

Strengthens and tones:

Biceps 

Tricep Dips 

■ Sit on a chair, sofa or bench, keeping your arms closest to the body

■ Gradually drive away your butt from the bench, at a closet distance

■ Now, with the help of your arm push your body down and come back to the starting position

Suggested repetitions:

6x3

Strengthens and tones:

Triceps

Plank level 1 and 2

Level 1

■ In case you want to lower the intensity, keep one knee down directly under your hip and straighten the other leg

Level 2

■ Get down on your hands and knees, palms under your shoulders

■ Lift your knees and straighten your legs so that you have a long flat back

■ Make sure your back is not hunched

Suggested repetitions:

3-4 times, hold for as long as you can

Strengthens and tones:

Whole core, stabilises shoulders

Lying side-leg lift

■ Lie down sideways with body in a straight line

■ Place the top arm in front of you for support

■ Bend the lower leg and keep the upper leg straight, with both knees in one line

■ Lift the top leg to without bending the knee, and then bring it down, which is one rep

Suggested repetitions:

10x2

Strengthens and tones:

Core and inner thighs

Back strengthening

■ Keep your knees under your hips and hands directly under your shoulders

■ Now drive your alternate leg and arm out parallel to the floor

■ Hold for 8-10 counts and carefully change side

■ Make sure your back is not arched

■ In case it is too much, keep both arms down and extend only one leg at a time

Suggested repetitions:

3-5 times

Strengthens and tones:

Posterior (back) muscles 

olmdesk@outlookindia.com