Pregnant women who exercise in the third trimester of their pregnancy are better prepared for labour and delivery. While pregnant, your core muscles may be weak since they've had to support the growth of your kid for the past few months. You'll be able to better manage contractions if these muscles are in optimal shape.
Should a pregnant woman begin exercising in the third trimester?
Starting an exercise routine in your third trimester is still possible. Get started with about 5 to 10 minutes a day. Increase the time by five minutes at a time until you've reached 30 minutes. The most basic kind of exercise is walking, which is ideal for beginners.
Precautions for exercising during the final trimester of pregnancy
Stay active and move about during your third trimester. Before you begin your third-trimester workout routine at home, consider the following suggestions-
- Do not forget to drink a lot of water during your workouts.
- Cardiovascular illness, an incompetent cervix, lung disease, multiple pregnancies, placenta previa, preeclampsia, early contractions, or bleeding during pregnancy should all be avoided when doing aerobic workouts.
- Avoid exercises that require you to stand still for long periods of time. Legs and feet might become swollen if you stand stationary for long periods of time.
- Avoiding exercises that could result in a fall is a good rule of thumb.
- Use caution when engaging in back-laying workouts.
- Stay away from exercises that have a significant impact, such as jumping.
- When working out, pay attention to your body's signals. Take a pause or lower the intensity of your workout if something doesn't seem right.
- Don't snooze on your back. In order to return blood to your heart, the uterus exerts pressure on a vein.
Pregnancy Exercises For The Third Trimester
During the third trimester, your body begins to prepare for labour and childbirth, and you'll notice a slowdown if not an abrupt halt at times.
Exercises that improve cardiovascular health and strengthen your core are ideal for this time of year. Following are some safe exercises for the third trimester-
- Walking
Walking is the easiest workout, especially when other activities are impossible. Walking will keep you fit during pregnancy.
All you need is a comfy pair of sneakers and a park or sidewalk. Walking is a low-impact exercise that is suitable for pregnant women. Even at 38 weeks pregnant, it is possible. Just stroll at your own pace.
- Climbing
Stair climbing is particularly healthy for a woman's lower body, as it builds muscles that help with delivery. Make sure the steps aren't too steep and have railings to climb safely.
- Yoga
Pregnant women in their third trimester benefit greatly from low-impact exercises like yoga. Yoga's relaxation practises can help the expecting mother stay calm as well as help her relax.
Remember that it is ideal to practise yoga with an instructor that specialises in training pregnant women. Yoga poses like Cat-Cow Pose.
Marjaryasana (Cat-Cow Pose)
The cat-cow yoga pose is a mild workout for the third trimester. The cat position can relieve lower back pain. It also aids in positioning your baby for birth.
How To Practice
- Begin on your hands and knees. Use a floor mat to minimise stressing your knees.
- Hands and knees in line with shoulders, head down, facing the floor.
- Exhale, arch your back like a cat, and draw your tummy up toward your spine.
- The head and hips are drawn in for a few seconds.
- Return your back and hips to their normal positions as you exhale. Repeat the exercise 5–8 times.
- Squats
From the onset of your pregnancy until delivery, squatting is one of the best exercises you can perform to stay fit. Many doctors and midwives instruct pregnant women to squat in order to employ the natural force of gravity to shift the baby towards the lower pelvis and to facilitate the opening of the cervix.
How To Practice
- Squats are easier if you hold the back of a chair with both hands and utilise a floor mat for nice padding.
- Stand with your feet parallel to your shoulders and your toes pointing slightly off to the sides.
- With the help of your chair, bend your knees and lower your bottom to your comfort level.
- After roughly ten seconds, cautiously stand up while still clutching the chair.
- Repeat this exercise 5–7 times. Squats build leg, back, and abdominal muscles.
- Avoid squats if you have groyne or pubic pain. Squats are not advised if you have placenta previa or if it is at risk of rupturing.
- Pool Exercises and Swimming
Does your local club have a pool? Use it wisely! Water's buoyancy relieves tension on joints and weak muscles, allowing you to execute activities you couldn't otherwise do.
Before you start, make sure you're in water that's at least up to your chest. Try these two-
- Back float: This activity relieves tension and helps the body rest and heal. In the water, lie back and spread your arms out till you float. Relax and deepen your breathing for 2–3 minutes while float.
- Scissor leg stretch: This exercise works your groyne, inner thigh, and lower back. With your back against the pool's wall and your arms stretched out to the sides, hold the wall's edges. Raise both legs into a “L” shape with your upper body. Spread them out as far as you can in a “V” and then bring them back together. Rep 10-12 times.
- Exercices for the Pelvic - Kegel exercise
The pelvic floor muscles support the uterus and govern the urine bladder and vagina. As your baby grows, the pelvic floor muscles stretch. Kegel exercises assist build muscle.
- Try to cease urinating to isolate the pelvic floor muscles. These are the pelvic floor muscles.
- Constriction: Activate the muscles, draw them inward and up, and relax. Start with 10 and work up to 50.
- Slow holds: As you progress in muscle strength, increase the force with which you contract the muscles and draw them up higher for five counts. Do this 15 times.
- Exercises That Require Too Wide Of A Leg Gap
These assist in maintaining the strength of your upper and lower body muscles.
Expert recommends avoiding any workout that puts you at risk of tripping and falling. Pregnant women should avoid exercises that could cause them to lose their balance, which could result in a fall and abdominal impact that could injure their unborn child.
Pain in the front pubic bone, known as pubic symphysis pain, is also relatively uncommon. As a result of this, Experts advises against doing workouts in which your legs are too far apart.
- Diastasis recti correction
When it comes to women during this time, diastasis (separation of the abdominal muscles) is an issue, and it will seem like a bulge running down the middle of your belly. Experts recommend offer a diastasis recti corrective exercise in order to combat this.
How To Practice
- A pillow should be placed beneath your head and shoulders while you are on your back. Feet should be flat on the floor with knees bent.
- To support your lower back, roll a crib or twin sheet into a 3- to 4-inch diameter tube and place it there (above your pelvis and below your ribs).
- Grasp a sheet and cross it over your stomach. As you pull each side, the sheet should create an X shape.
- Take a deep breath in and elevate your head and shoulders off the pillow while pressing your back flat onto the floor. Your abs are supported by the sheet while you gently "hug" it around your abdomen.
- Repeat 10 to 20 times with a deeper inhalation. If your neck or shoulders are aching, begin at 10 and gradually increase the difficulty.
- Do this twice a day for two days.
Bodyweight-Only Or Low-Weight Strength Training Exercises
In the third trimester, you should focus on bodyweight-only or low-weight strength training exercises, such as
Sumo squats or bodyweight squats with a wider posture (if you're not having pelvic pain) for an enhanced base of support.
- With light weights, perform a standing shoulder press.
- Curls with light weight bicep exercises
- wall push-ups against a solid wall
- modified planks
- low weight tricep kickback
Caution signs of pregnancy when exercising
Stop exercising and see your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms-
- Weakness of muscles
- Pregnancy-related discomfort or edoema in your calf
- Pain in the chest
- Headache
- Diarrhea or fainting spells
- breathing difficulty prior to beginning an exercise routine
- Bleeding from your cervix
- Vaginal fluid flowing or pouring out
Conclusion
The third trimester of pregnancy is a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, and even more physical changes than the first two. Many of these symptoms can be alleviated with just a few minutes of exercise each day for those of you who are already physically healthy.
Healthy habits that can be carried over into the postpartum phase should be established now.