There pregnancy is a unique and intense experience. For some women, it is even a physical ordeal: shortness of breath and pain in the back and pelvis are difficult to avoid from the sixth month of pregnancy. Discover our tips for taking care of yourself while baby grows!
I am pregnant, can I exercise during my pregnancy? Is it dangerous for the baby?
Many pregnant women wonder if physical activity is possible. It is entirely possible to make sport during pregnancy to take care of yourself and pay attention to your health. This is even recommended by health professionals to improve circulation and lung capacity. You are pregnant after all, not sick! However, it is advisable to practice a suitable activity, aquabiking For example !
Before taking the plunge, it is important to talk to your gynecologist or doctor. Indeed, each pregnancy is unique and requires special attention. There may be contraindications to physical practice in very specific cases: opening of the cervix, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, etc. Sports activities that could result in injuries or falls are unsuitable and therefore not recommended. Having fun during your session and connecting with other mothers-to-be is the main thing!
Playing a sport can even be beneficial to pregnancy. During a yoga class, for example, you become more flexible, you gently strengthen your muscles and you learn to breathe in a way that opens your rib cage to free up space for your child. And yes, baby also feels the benefits of the session, so don't hesitate any longer and get started!
However, it is safer to wait until the 3rd month of pregnancy to start or resume physical activity in order to avoid the risk of miscarriage.
A gentle and regular sporting activity improves the metabolism while allowing you to keep your spirits up, relieve your daily worries and prepare the body for childbirth!
Why practice an activity during pregnancy?
Exercising during pregnancy helps both the pregnant woman and the baby maintain good health. Medium-intensity physical activities improve oxygen exchanges between the mother-to-be and her child. Sport reduces lower back pain, the risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension, maintains muscle mass and improves sleep and blood circulation.
It is recommended during pregnancy to practice gentle activity at moderate intensity, favoring the practice of aerobic sports. That is to say, those which allow the body to obtain sufficient oxygen. Examples of aerobic sports include walking, swimming, aerobic dancing without jumping, exercise cycling, gentle gymnastics, stretching and aqua aerobics.
In addition, pregnancy overworks the muscles, ligaments and joints, creating lower back, abdominal and cervical pain on the one hand, and pain in the hips and pelvis on the other. Sport allows you to mobilize these different parts, making them more mobile and therefore less painful.
At what pace should you train?
The pace depends on whether you were sporty before your pregnancy. The most important thing is to train regularly and without forcing yourself too hard. We advise you to carry out one or two sessions per week to start.
If you are not into exercise, focus on walking for at least 30 minutes per day.
The main thing, especially during pregnancy, is to listen to your body. At the slightest sign of fatigue or pain, you will need to stop and rest.
Discover the sports you can do when you are pregnant!
Here are some sports that we advise you to practice during pregnancy:
- Swimming : to work your entire body gently,
- Aquagym : to work the arms, the back, and promote relaxation,
- Walking : to relieve possible back pain and move,
- THE yoga and prenatal aqua yoga : to learn to breathe better and strengthen your perineum.
- Aquabike : to firm your thighs, glutes, abs and improve your cardio in the water.
Among these activities, we recommend aquagym and aquabike, as they are part of the exercises for pregnancy which are practiced in the swimming pool. You are probably wondering why water sports rather than others? Well the answer is simple! There is less pressure on your body, movements are easier and your joints are not traumatized. So even if the water is a little cold, go for it anyway, it's for your own good...
Aquagym, a gentle sport to practice during your pregnancy!
Whether you want to relax, improve your breathing or relieve your pain, there are small, very effective aquagym exercises to fully experience your pregnancy.
Several exercises with beneficial effects to practice alone or with the help of a coach during a class.
To work on lung capacity, chest and back:
Stand in the pool with your feet on the ground and your arms at your sides. Raise one knee then the other while extending your arms at the height of the water. Repeat this exercise around twenty times for optimal feeling.
To relieve the back:
Lying on your back, with a cushion under your head held by the coach, gently swim the backstroke. Alternate with leg breaststroke movements, extending your arms above your head.
To relax :
To relax during the aquagym session, we advise you to lie on your back. You float thanks to a fry under the knees as well as under the neck. For more stability, you can add some under your armpits.
Keep your ears to the water and let yourself be guided by the coach who moves you gently from right to left. Aquagym is a gentle sport that also helps improve your breathing. Good news that will help you during childbirth.
And if you are in good shape during your pregnancy and want to try a slightly more intense aquatic activity, we recommend it.aquabiking.
Aquabiking, the perfect sport for pregnant women!
The aquabike is one of the water sports that can be practiced during pregnancy. In fact, it is particularly effective in combating heavy legs, developing muscles, improving blood circulation and breathing. Participating in aquabike sessions means being sure to do sport while paying attention to the baby.
Aquabiking is much gentler than road cycling or running. In fact, pedaling in water reduces shock and the risk of falling. Being submerged up to your waist allows you, thanks to the principle of gravity of water, to perform more movements than in the open air. In addition, once in the water, the body is only a third of its weight, which makes movement easier.
Discover aquabike at Aqua by
At Aqua by, we have modernized aquabiking. Each 45-minute session is designed to let go and surpass yourself to the rhythm of the music. Accessible to all levels, the sessions allow a total disconnection in a luminous bubble where summer is present all year round. We offer 6 types of classes to vary your workouts.
Our Aqua by coaches, professional and specially trained for aquabike, will guide you for the entire duration of the session, i.e. 45 minutes.
All our aquabiking classes are open to pregnant women and our studios are open all week from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call us or come see us directly. We will be happy to answer you !
And if you don't have any questions, do you know what to do? Register in one of the four Aqua by studios to discover this activity!
