Deepika Padukone recently took to her Instagram handle and shared a perfectly symmetrical picture of herself in the Viparita Karani or Legs-Up-The-Wall pose. The pregnant mother and actress revealed that even if she is unable to workout during the day due to her busy schedule, she makes sure to take 5 minutes of her time to practice the ‘restful inversion’, which is apparently true even in her trimesters. Taking a cue from Deepika, here are some pregnancy-friendly exercises that you can follow if you are pregnant or planning to.
Prenatal Yoga
A general rule to follow during pregnancy is that it is important to stay active, but it is equally important to ensure that you do not put stress on your body by overloading it with activity at a time when it is already dealing with a lot. This is where prenatal yoga comes in. Yoga can be as light or as difficult as you like, making it completely flexible for pregnant women.
The range of movement expected from the body while pregnant also varies with each trimester. For instance, as per a report by Healthline, poses like Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend), Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend) and Marjariasana to Bitilasana (Cat-Cow) are best for the first trimester. The same report lists Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose), Balasana (Child’s Pose) and Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) and Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) as ideal variations for the second trimester. Lastly, Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II), Malasana (Garland Pose), Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and Parsva Shavasana (Side Cop Pose) are listed for the third trimester.
Prenatal Pilates
Pilates has truly doubled down on the niche it has carved for itself in the mainstream fitness world and this holds true for people of all ages and fitness levels, including pregnant women. In fact, Sonam Kapoor swore by Pilates during (and even after) her months of pregnancy with Vaayu, thanks to Radhika’s Balanced Body. Like yoga, Pilates is flexible in terms of intensity. The focus on breathing makes it even better for pregnant women.
As WebMD reports, practicing Pilates while pregnant actually helps women adapt their bodies to the major change they are going through. Consistently practicing Pilates helps strengthen the abdominal muscles, back, and pelvic floor. It also reportedly helps one deal better with the growing pains that occur during pregnancy. Practicing Pilates during pregnancy also helps in the postpartum journey.
water aerobics
Water workouts are very popular among pregnant women. Being immersed in water helps reduce abdominal heaviness and reduces pressure on the spine and pelvis, reports Penn Medicine. Water-based workouts are also much less likely to cause injury. Battling the buoyancy of the water is enough of a workout in itself. Without making things too complicated, simple movements like marching, half-squats, leg lifts, and even jogging in the pool are a great place to start.
Consider Lamaze Classes
From the beginning, the basic purpose of Lamaze is to train expectant parents on how they can potentially complete a delivery with a faster delivery, less pain and minimal medical intervention. The Lamaze method focuses on rhythmic breathing. As Medical News Today reports, the Lamaze method focuses on allowing labor to begin on its own, giving the person in labor freedom to move around and change positions midway through labor, encouraging strong emotional support, avoiding unnecessary medical intervention and avoiding giving birth while lying on the back and instead guiding the expectant mother to follow her physical instincts to push.
just walk!
If you haven’t been active before, it’s not advisable to suddenly start exercising during pregnancy. Instead, Annandale OB-GYN reports, start slowly by walking for 5 minutes a day — it’s a pretty easy commitment. Gradually increase this to 30 minutes a day.
Remember, when it comes to getting your body moving, doing something is always better than doing nothing!
That said, if you’re pregnant, be sure to consult a certified healthcare professional before making any major changes to your fitness activities.
