Knowing that exercise is important throughout pregnancy, you may be considering what types of workouts to do. Swimming and other water workouts are great for pregnant women!
Swimming, in fact, is an excellent total-body workout since it works all of the major muscle groups as well as the cardiovascular system. You should also know that the breaststroke technique is the best technique to use while swimming during pregnancy because it does not require torso rotation, which can be stressful on the belly, and it also strengthens the back.
You don't even need to be able to swim to engage in another water workouts, as many of them are conducted in waist or chest-high water. You might be wondering why doing exercises in the water is better than doing them on land. In fact, exercising in water puts no additional strain on your already overworked joints and ligaments because the buoyancy of the water only requires you to support half of your body weight. Furthermore, the temperature of the water prevents you from overheating while exercising.
You don't have to join a special structured class to exercise in the water; merely walking, jogging, or running in the water will strengthen your muscles, legs, and hips while also improving your cardio-respiratory fitness. You can further improve your movements by using flippers, kickboards, foam tubes, webbed gloves, and water weights.
Also, here are a handful of fun and beneficial water workouts for you to try:
The Dolphin Kicks: Face the pool's side and grab the edge, allowing your legs to trail behind you in the water. For 30 seconds, kick your legs as hard as you can, then rest and relax. Repeat the set for five times.
The Kickboard Push: Hold a kickboard upright in front of you, half-submerged in the water. As you move from one side of the pool to the other, push it in front of you. Maintain a steady walking pace while keeping the board straight. Make two additional journeys across the pool in same fashion, this time zigzagging the board as you walk.
Take use of the swimming pool and enjoy exercising!