Fitball exercises for pregnant women: indications and contraindications. Fitball for pregnant women in trimesters

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The time of pregnancy is very precious for every woman. The expectant mother should lead a proper lifestyle: eat well, monitor her daily routine. And modern doctors also advise not to forget about physical activity. Now I want to talk about what fitball exercises for pregnant women will be useful and will bring not only pleasure, but also some relief.

To be or not to be?

Women who have always kept their body in good shape should not relax during pregnancy. However, the complex of loads should be completely different. So, gymnastics for pregnant women on a fitball is completely safe for both mom and baby. Moreover, properly selected exercises can help stretch muscles (which is very useful during contractions and during childbirth), perfectly reduce back pain (which is very important for women, especially in the last trimester), normalize high blood pressure and generally give the body strength and energy. Moderndoctors say that a pregnant woman, if she is all right, should not lie in bed as if she were sick. She should move and lead a moderately active lifestyle.

About the ball

Before looking at various fitball exercises for pregnant women, it is worth noting that such an interesting ball was invented in Switzerland and widely used to facilitate contractions and childbirth. A little later, they began to use it more widely, as sports equipment, without regretting it at all. Classes on such a ball are suitable for all women, there are no contraindications here. However, this applies only to those women whose pregnancy proceeds without complications. Otherwise, when starting any new activity, you should definitely consult with a gynecologist and ask permission for classes from him. It is important to note that classes with a fitball will appeal to those ladies who want to avoid extreme physical exertion on the body. After all, the exercises themselves perfectly relax the muscles, while training the unborn baby!

How to choose a ball?

Looking after a fitball for pregnant women, how to choose the right ball - that's what a woman should be interested in first of all. So, everyone knows that balls differ in size. What is suitable for a woman? If the fitness balls are inflated in the store, the best option is to simply sit on top of it and look at the location of the legs. If the knees are bent at a right angle, the ball is made just for this woman. But whatto do if the fitball is packed in a box on the sales shelves? To do this, you just need to find out its size and correlate it with your height. So, if a lady's height is below 152 cm, she needs a ball with a diameter of 45 cm. If the height is from 153 to 165 cm, so to speak, average, it is better to take a ball with a diameter of 55 cm. For tall women whose height is above 165 cm, size is suitable fitball 65 cm. It is also important to recall that it is better to buy any sports equipment, including similar balls, in certified stores. This is the only way to protect yourself from fakes, and your he alth from various injuries when using low-quality goods.

First trimester

What should be the load in the first trimester of pregnancy? Since doctors consider this period the most dangerous: there is a great threat to such a fragile nascent life, and the mother does not feel too well, it is better not to do any strength exercises, classes should be aimed at relaxing the body. No stress and exhausting workouts!

Second trimester

This period is characterized by the fact that the terrible state of the mother associated with toxicosis is over. The baby is already felt in the tummy, but it still does not cause any inconvenience. It’s good to actively start exercising on the fitball, choosing a wide variety of exercises for yourself. However, only from the complex for pregnant women.

Third trimester

The last trimester of pregnancy a woman should also be active, even though the baby may cause some inconvenience. Howeverthis is not a reason to refuse classes for pregnant women on fitball. On the contrary, during this period, exercises with the ball will help reduce back pain, relax. In addition, such classes are an excellent preparation for the period of labor and even the birth itself, when the woman herself will know what is best for her to do to ease the pain.

Basic poses

So, what can be the main exercises (fitball for pregnant women)? In the videos that various coaches actively offer women, it can be seen that there are not so many poses for practicing with the ball. First: lying on the ball (belly or back). This is necessary in order to strengthen the muscles of the back and abs. Second: sitting on a fitball. This is a great pose that helps to train the pelvis and also works as a prevention of kidney problems and early prolapse of the uterus. Third: kneeling and lying on the fitball with the front of the torso. This pose is great for relieving back and lower back pain, and also improves blood circulation. It is important to say that all fitball exercises for pregnant women can be divided into three main large groups: these are muscle strengthening and stretching exercises, relaxation exercises, as well as Kegel exercises (training the deep muscles of the perineum, which is very useful during childbirth).

Exercise block 1: stretching and strengthening muscles

Start simple. So here too. The first exercise, which, however, will perfectly help relieve pain and distract a woman during contractions: you need to sit on the ball, while resting against it if you wish.hands. Now you need to make small swinging back and forth, small rotational movements both clockwise and counterclockwise. This exercise will help the uterus open up faster in the future, and childbirth will go faster. We go further. Now you need to properly stretch the muscles of the legs, because it will be very necessary during childbirth. To do this, a woman sits on the floor, spreads her legs and places a fitball between them. Now, several times in a row, she must squeeze it well with her legs. However, this must be done slowly. The exercise stops when the lady feels tired. At this stage, you can slightly stretch the muscles of the back and hips. To do this, the pregnant woman needs to sit on the ball and rest her feet well on the floor. Now, with the opposite hand to the leg, you need to reach the foot. At first glance, this is easy to do, although in reality everything is different. This exercise is a great stretch for a woman. Fitball exercises for pregnant women can also train a woman's hands. This will come in handy already for the postpartum period, when the baby will constantly be in his mother's arms, while gaining weight. So, you need to take the ball on outstretched arms and gradually squeeze it. It is also good to train the spine. To do this, you need to put the ball in front of you, lean towards it, rest your hands on it and roll it towards you, then away from you. It is important here not to run after the ball, but to roll it as far as possible, standing in one place. And, of course, you need to train the stomach during pregnancy. To do this, you need to lie with your back on the fitball (namely with the shoulder blades), while the legs must be bent at the knees, creating a right angle with them. Hands are placed behindhead. A woman should raise her stomach up several times, while lingering in the upper position for a couple of seconds. Exercises (fitball for pregnant women) on the video will help to understand this perfectly.

Exercise block 2: relaxation

It is also important for a woman to be able to relax properly. To do this, the pregnant woman needs to sit on the floor, and place the ball directly in front of her. Now you need to hug the fitball and get on it as comfortably as possible. That's all. A woman can stay in this position for as long as she likes. So she just rests. It is important to say that a lady needs to be able to relax in order to more easily endure the period of contractions. Therefore, it is important to train this exercise from the very beginning of pregnancy.

Exercise block 3: Kegel exercises

How else can you use fitball during pregnancy? For training the internal muscles of the pelvis. Great helpers in this will be Kegel exercises, which are named after the doctor who first proposed them. So, the bottom line is that a woman will train the multilayer muscles of the pelvic floor, constantly squeezing and unclenching them. Of course, you can do this without the ball, but otherwise there will be more benefits. To do this, the pregnant woman must sit on the ball and begin to compress the internal muscles, while, as it were, pressing into the ball. Now you need to linger in the most extreme state of the muscles for a few seconds and begin to gradually relax, as if rising up. You need to do this several times in one sitting, but it is better to repeat the approaches as often as possible. If after allof the above, the woman still doubts the usefulness of the ball, you can advise her to read various reviews. Fitball for pregnant women is used by so many expectant mothers who receive not only great benefits from classes, but also pleasure, which is important during pregnancy.