Exercise program for pregnant women. Are pregnancy and gym compatible? A set of exercises and the rules for their implementation

You found out that you are pregnant, and your first emotions are joy mixed with excitement. Many different questions arise in my head (especially if this is the first pregnancy): what is happening in my body, what is possible, what is not, how to keep my health and give birth to a healthy baby, how not to gain a lot of excess weight, how to eat, how to breathe, how to sleep, who to listen to, who not to listen to, and so on.

Relax, take a deep breath, and calm down. Today we will answer some of your questions and cover the topic of health and fitness for pregnant women, tell you what to pay special attention to and how to modify the exercises for your new state.

Changes in a woman's body during pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman's body occurs many transformationsranging from mood to changes in the hormonal system, metabolic rate and weight gain.

All these changes are natural and don't worry about extra pounds on the scales. It is easier to endure the ongoing changes in the body and the general emotional state by maintaining a healthy lifestyle: a full-fledged balanced diet and sports or special gymnastics for pregnant women.

Even if you've never played sports before, it's time to start!
Exercise during pregnancy have a number of advantages:

• training will positively affect both your health and the health of the unborn baby;
• when gaining weight, excess fat will not accumulate;
• after giving birth, you will quickly return to prenatal form;
• it will be easier for the pregnancy to proceed and the birth itself will take place;
• pain will decrease;
• during training, blood circulation will improve, the body will be enriched with oxygen;
• hormones that improve mood are released;
• in general, you will feel better, and your baby in the future will be healthier, more active, show more abilities in sports and learning.

Features and contraindications for exercise during pregnancy (1 trimester)

Pregnancy is divided into three terms. In the first trimester, the fetus is very sensitive to negative external stimuli, all vital systems and organs are formed in it.

Before starting training, be sure to consult with your doctor, do an ultrasound scan, all kinds of tests - make sure you have no absolute contraindications, which may be asymptomatic and do not bother you. Such contraindications include:

• heart disease affecting hemodynamics;
• decreased lung compliance due to restrictive diseases;
• multiple pregnancy.

In addition to absolute, there are also relative contraindications, which should also be considered carefully. This could be:

• a sedentary lifestyle before pregnancy;
• smoking;
• anemia;
• arrhythmia;
• extreme obesity or underweight;

• orthopedic restrictions;
• uncontrolled hypertension;
• uncontrolled type 1 diabetes;
• hyperfunction of the thyroid gland;
• epilepsy.

Should stop class immediately if you happened at this time:

• bleeding;
• headache or dizziness;

• chest pain;
• any discomfort.

Training recommendations for the first trimester of pregnancy

If all medical indicators are normal, provide yourself with the support of a coach and start exercising.

Exercise in the first trimester of pregnancy

You can often hear the opinion that physical exercise for pregnant women in the first trimester is contraindicated, and the expectant mother needs to lie down and fold her legs.

This is a big misconception: pregnancy is not a disease, and the more active the mother's lifestyle, the easier the childbirth will be and the healthier the baby will be.Stretching, walking, etc. will be useful exercises.

Start your morning with breathing exercises, do exercises for pregnant women on fitball at home. Pay special attention to strengthening your back - it will come in handy for the next nine months.

A set of exercises for pregnant women in the first trimester

This simple set of exercises will help you keep your muscles in good shape, your weight is normal, and your mood is elevated.

1. Inhale for the count of 5;
2. Pause for count 3;
3. Exhale to count 5;
4. Pause for counting 3.

• Then close the left nostril with the index finger of your right hand, and inhale with your right, exhale with the left nostril, blocking the right with your right thumb. Take six such breaths in and out, change hands and repeat the manipulations: inhale with the left nostril and exhale with the right.

This breathing will help you to open your lungs better, fill them with oxygen, as well as distract from routine tasks and tune in to workout.

Joint warm-up

Warm up after breathing exercises. This can be walking in place for one minute, bending the body to the sides, forward and backward bends, rotating the legs in the hip, knee and ankle joints, rotating the arms in the shoulder, elbow joints and hands. About ten reps in each direction.

This exercise will help strengthen your leg muscles and open your pelvis.

Holding on to the back of a chair, spread your legs wider than shoulder width apart, with your toes facing outward. Taking your pelvis back, slowly do ten deepest squats. Concentrate on doing and breathing. At the bottom, inhale and exhale at the top.

This exercise will help strengthen your pelvic and oblique muscles.

Keeping your left hand on the back of a chair, swing your right leg back, then swing your leg to the right side and diagonally swing your leg forward to the left. Return the leg to its original position, repeat ten times, rest, repeat the same with the other leg. Concentrate as much as possible on muscle work, avoid inertia.

This exercise will help strengthen your glutes and inner thighs.

Lying on your side, legs straightened (lower leg can be bent at the knee), lean on the elbow. As you exhale, slowly lift your leg up, while inhaling, slowly lower it down. Perform 10 times on each side.

Side bar

This exercise will strengthen your oblique abdominal muscles.

Lying on your side, bend your knees, rest your upper body on the elbow. Upper arm behind the head or at the waist. As you exhale, tear the pelvis off the floor a few centimeters, while inhaling, return to the starting position. Repeat ten times on each side.

This exercise will help strengthen your pectoral muscles.

Take a knee-wrist position on the floor. The knees are exactly under the pelvis, the hands are slightly in front and wider than the shoulders. Take a breath. As you exhale, bend your elbows to the sides and try to touch the floor with your chest. Repeat ten times.

Exercise will help strengthen your back muscles.

The starting position is standing on all fours. Inhale, with an exhalation, pull your right leg back, and your left arm forward, while do not bend your lower back and try not to bend strongly towards the supporting leg. Return to starting position. Do ten reps on each side.

Cat

This exercise will relieve tension and fatigue from the back and make the spine more flexible.

Take a knee-wrist position on the floor. The knees are exactly under the pelvis, the hands are under the shoulders, the back is in a neutral position. With an inhalation, make a backbend, stretch your chest and chin up.

Do not bend strongly in the lumbar region, do not allow pain. As you exhale, round your back as much as possible and pull your chin towards your chest. Do ten of these reps.

The exercise will help relax your calves and ankles and can be done anywhere, anytime.

Sitting on a chair, lift your feet off the floor. Pull the socks towards you, away from you. Perform rotational movements left, right. Place your feet on the floor and lift your heels off the floor as much as possible, standing on tiptoes. Do 10 reps for each exercise.

Exercises for pregnant women on fitball (1 trimester)

Fitball has become very popular among pregnant women, because it makes it possible to perform many exercises, helps relieve pain symptoms in the spine, and can become a faithful assistant in preparing for childbirth.

Exercises during pregnancy on fitball (1 trimester) have almost no contraindications, but before starting training, you should ask your doctor for permission.

Here are some exercises:

• Feet shoulder width apart, hold the ball in straight arms outstretched. Bend forward and to the side.
• Sitting on the ball, rotate your pelvis in one direction and the other.
• Lying on the floor, place the ball between your legs. Squeeze the ball in a pulsating motion.
• Lying on the floor, put one foot on the ball, the other bent at the knee and firmly on the floor. Roll the ball back and forth slowly.
• Use the ball as a chair while watching TV. Rotate your pelvis while doing this.
• Be sure to do exercises to relax your back. To do this, while kneeling, lie with your chest on the ball, hug it with your arms and swing slightly from side to side.

Observe the measure, do not overexert yourself, perform three to four repetitions of each exercise. Remember, you shouldn't feel any discomfort.

Stretching

After training, it is important to stretch your muscles at a calm pace. This will help relax them and return their pulse to a pre-workout state.

• Sitting on the floor, cross your legs in a Turkish fashion, resting your right hand on the floor, stretch your left hand to the right and to the other side. Repeat ten times, pause at the maximum stretch point.
• Being in the same position, put your right hand between the shoulder blades, and with your left try to reach your right, hold in this position.
• Stretch your legs forward, straighten your back, arch your lower back slightly and tilt.
• Holding onto the back of a chair, grab the ankle of your right leg and pull your heel toward your buttock.

Exercises for pregnant women (1 trimester) video

Check out the exercises for pregnancy (1 trimester) in the proposed video. You will learn how to warm up better and more efficiently, look at the correct exercise technique, breathing and the number of repetitions.

Pregnancy is a difficult and crucial period in the life of every woman. Follow our recommendations and your pregnancy will be smoother, the birth itself is easier and the return to prenatal shape is faster. Enjoy this period, greet every day with a smile and love.

What exercises do you include in your workouts? Share your impressions in the comments.

- This is a responsible and important element of the child care system, because depending on the correctness of the training, it depends on whether the training will bring benefit or harm. Workouts for pregnant women differ at different periods of be-re-men-nos-ty, because during the first trimester, when the in-tok-si-ka-tion is in progress, training is most likely contraindicated. Moreover, during the be-re-men-nos-ti, it is necessary to be-s-to-yan-but-to-sul-ti-ro-v-Xia with doctors, namely doctors, and not a doctor, asking for the opinions of different specialists. As for training, for some girls it may be generally contraindicated, others need it, someone needs to train harder, someone calmer, only a doctor can tell you all this, relying on ind-di-vi-du-al-nye the results of your analyzes.

Workouts for pregnant women, of course, are of a lightweight nature, do not imply a progression of loads and the performance of exercises that create pressure in the uterus, that is, we do not train the press at all, and we train our legs only specially-tsi-a-li-zi-ro -van-th exercises for pregnant women. The most suitable types of training are walking, swimming, yoga and fitness. As we have repeatedly noted, it is best to prepare for everything in advance, so it is advisable to get in shape, because of being overweight and toning the muscles, before pregnancy, during it it is only possible to maintain the current state of the body, neither we will not lose weight, nor will we gi-per-tro-fi-ro-vat muscles. The main thing for a pregnant girl is the nutrition of the fruit, so we will make the "ass a nut" after pregnancy.

Based on all the above, we can conclude that training for pregnant women is divided into training before, during and after pregnancy, moreover, during pregnancy, This intensity and type of training depends on the trimester and the level of fitness of the girl. Once again, we emphasize that for some girls, training can be pro-tee-ka-zan for health reasons, so be sure to pro-con-sult-rui-te with a doctor. If the doctor allows you to exercise, then you need to do without fanaticism, observing all precautions. I can’t do any workouts through, no technical disturbances, in general, you should be as comfortable as possible, in this case it’s better to “go overboard” than “go underdog”!

Training rules for pregnant women

Terms - this is the comfort of the place where you are exercising, if it is a pool, then this rule refers to the state of the water, if it is a gym, then it is important to consider how warm it is in the room and how it is ventilated. In general, pregnant girls have an overestimated pulse, so fresh air is simply necessary, you cannot hold your breath, all exercises are performed with inhalation in a positive phase and exhalation with effort. Since the heart rate is already high, the intensity of the training should be low, your breathing should always be even. You can buy yourself a heart rate monitor to monitor your heart rate, which should be in the range of 120-130 beats per minute. Due to the increase in heart rate during pregnancy, it is recommended to take time heart training before conceiving a baby.

You don't need to get sick during pregnancy, so after training you need to take a shower and cool down in comfortable conditions. By the way, since the opportunity to train comfortably somewhere does not exist for everyone, for example, due to the fact that it is difficult to get there, and fitness is recommended, which can be done at home. If there is an opportunity to visit the pool, then this must be done, but you must be sure of the quality of the water, that you will not have allergies or any skin diseases. In general, a swimming pool, as a method of training for pregnant women, is practically irreplaceable, since a girl needs to train her back, and she can effectively work her back in this state only in water.

Kinds of sports - this, as noted above, is swimming, fitness, yoga and walking, moreover, everything should be facilitated. If this is swimming, then you should not choke and set records, you need to swim calmly, measuredly, just in order to keep the long back muscles in good shape. When it comes to fitness, then prone and standing exercises should be avoided, giving preference to upper body training, completely eliminating abdominal exercises and reducing leg exercises to isolating movements. Yoga is called so - yoga for pregnant women, which involves the partial performance of asanas, the same applies to stretching during pregnancy. The bottom line is that the ligaments and joints become more fragile, so it is very easy to get injured, so you can stretch, but without pain.

Exercises - preference should be given to exercises on the upper body, to perform them on a fitball, the weight of dumbbells is about 2.5 kg, if you have previously practiced, then you need to use 50% of your working weights, exercises for the press are excluded, as well as exercises lying on your stomach. The repetition range is 15 to 20, inhale in the negative phase, exhale on effort. Be sure to consult with your doctor about what are the contraindications. If you decide to do yoga or stretching, but have not done this before, you definitely need a coach, and it is desirable that the coach be a girl who has already given birth herself. Swimming is recommended to be included 2-3 times in the training split of a pregnant girl.

Training - moderate, your task is to maintain muscle tone and minimize the growth of body fat, but in no case lose weight or gain muscle mass. You should train for 40-50 minutes, be sure to do warm-up , in this case, it can be a treadmill on which you will walk, keeping your heart rate within 130 beats per second. After the treadmill, you can stretch for 5-7 minutes, observing the principle of pain avoidance. In this case, it does not matter if you will be doing fitness, swimming, or attending yoga for pregnant women, the principle of moderation and relaxation should be observed in any case!

Output: training during pregnancy should be of a moderate nature, the girl should not choke, experiencing oxygen starvation, during training, it is necessary to drink water, avoid stress that causes pressure in the cervix. It is recommended to visit the pool 2-3 times a week and do fitness using 2.5kg dumbbells and fitness ball. During the first trimester of pregnancy, it is better to avoid physical activity, in the second trimester it is possible and necessary to do it, but only with the permission of the doctor, after passing the tests. In the third trimester, you can do it, but it all depends on your condition and tre-ni-ro-van-nos-ty, most likely that after 7 months you will have to give up training. AND necessarily so-lu-let-those tech-no-ku be-zo-pass-no-tee: no jumps and sudden movements, no muscle failure!

More recently, any expectant mother was prescribed almost complete rest until the very birth. Today, fitness classes during pregnancy are only welcome. Research has proven the tremendous benefits of moderate, well-designed exercise while carrying a baby.

Fitness instructors have worked with gynecologists to develop whole exercise courses. All of them, performed during this period, are capable of both improving the general well-being of the expectant mother, and developing individual muscles in order to prepare the body for childbirth.

Having resorted to fitness - exercises for pregnant women, you can keep your chest, arms, legs in good shape. The main thing is to remember that during 9 months of waiting, fitness is not a means to make your figure perfect, you will need to do it after giving birth. Exercise now is a way to keep your body in good shape and prepare it for childbirth. However, moderate exercise will reduce the likelihood of gaining excess weight.

Requires special attention press... It is strictly forbidden to download it at any stage of pregnancy. All exercises related to the load on the lower abdomen should be abandoned. Light incline chair exercise may be acceptable. This will help support the abs under such colossal loads.

Correctly selected exercises improve blood flow in internal organs and relax the spine. Improving blood metabolism in the mother's body is important for a good oxygen supply to the fetus. Fitness classes will ease back pain caused by pinching.

The fitness that you did during pregnancy will be of great benefit even after the birth of the baby. For example, exercises aimed at strengthening the pelvic muscles are a good prevention of urinary incontinence after childbirth.

Doctors-gynecologists not only say that you can do fitness during pregnancy, they advise doing yoga and breathing exercises... These two types of fitness prepare a woman for proper breathing during childbirth, stretch the tissues that will participate in this process.

Yoga, in addition to physical activity, teaches you to control yourself and listen to your body. This will be useful during childbirth, when you need to pull yourself together, extinguish your fear and courageously endure pain.

Going in for sports is not only preparing yourself, but also training the fetus. The child, being in the womb, feels everything. And, if a woman loves to play sports, it is not a burden for her, if she becomes tempered, then the child after birth will be much easier to endure adaptation to the world around him and physical exercises.

Also among the benefits of fitness during pregnancy:

• improving digestion;
• reducing the risk of constipation;
• reducing the number of stretch marks on the abdomen after childbirth;
• burst of energy.

Contraindications for fitness

The expression "pregnancy is not a disease" today is increasingly heard among doctors and pregnant women themselves. Everyone is prescribed walks in the fresh air and positive emotions. Also, no one cancels sports. But, when a new life is growing under your heart, for which you are responsible, then you should be extremely attentive to the loads. You should also be aware of contraindications that cannot be ignored.

There are absolute and relative contraindications for exercise during pregnancy.

Absolute contraindications exclude any load at all. In some cases, full bed rest is prescribed. These indications include:

• ruptures of the membranes;
• the likelihood of premature birth;
• multiple pregnancy;
• placenta previa;
• ruptures of the membranes;
• more than 3 previously performed abortions;
• a history of miscarriages.

Relative contraindications do not exclude sports. However, in this case, you should be extremely careful and pre-agree with the doctor all the exercises.

Relative indications include:

• anemia;
• endocrine diseases;
• arrhythmia;
• fluctuations in weight;
• fetal fading that occurred during previous pregnancies;
• previously transferred premature birth;
• bleeding.

Thus, in the absence of the above contraindications, pregnancy and fitness are quite compatible things. However, the development of classes should take place according to the individual characteristics of your body and the nature of the course of pregnancy.

How are fitness classes during pregnancy

Having made a decision to practice, it is worth remembering the rules that will make the classes useful. First of all, we pay attention to the intensity of the classes. Each workout should not end with shortness of breath, everything should be done in moderation.

It is worth remembering about forbidden movements: sudden movements, strong bends of the back, swinging legs, jumping and stretching.

Sport is an activity that does not forgive long pauses. This is especially true for sports during pregnancy. Irregular exercise can become simply useless at best, or negatively affect the course of pregnancy.

The lessons must be approached responsibly. First, monitor your own well-being during and after exercise. Any discomfort is a reason to stop practicing. You should also drink enough fluids to stay hydrated.

Overheating during exercise can adversely affect the fetus and should be avoided. In summer, for example, do not exercise in the heat, but do it early in the morning or in the evening. And in winter, choose cool rooms for classes. Since the blood flow during pregnancy is much stronger and the body heats up more intensely.

When choosing a program for training, do not forget to tell the trainer if you have played sports before or if you are a beginner. This fact requires different decisions when developing an individual program.

All of your activities should begin with warm up and warm up muscles. Before starting, you should pay attention to the pulse. Normally, it should be 12-16 beats in 10 seconds after completing the exercises, this mark rises to 18 beats.

Fitness in the first trimester

The first trimester is the period when all the vital organs of the baby are laid. Sports activities at this stage should be kept to a minimum. Do not think that the stomach has not yet grown, so while you can load yourself in full force. Excessive stress can lead to miscarriage, as it prevents the embryo from attaching to the walls of the uterus.

Early fitness can focus on strengthening the thighs. Also, breathing exercises and strengthening of the pectoral muscles are not contraindicated.

Experts characterize exercises in the first trimester this way - simple but effective.

Fitness in the second trimester

Pregnancy is proceeding normally, and the size of the fetus does not interfere with exercise. After 12 weeks of pregnancy, the exercise can be increased slightly. Now you can pay attention to the pelvic area and the press.

It is advisable to perform all exercises at this stage in a bandage in order to reduce the load on the spine. Also, all exercises that were previously performed on the back are replaced with exercises on the side. The supine position prevents oxygen from reaching the fetus.

Fitness late

It seems to many that the belly is big and sports in the last trimester should be postponed until later. But this is not the case. During this time, special attention can be paid to the arms, chest and hips. Consideration should be given to exercises that are designed to relax your back and reduce stress on the spine.

In this case, training on fitball will be useful. In the last trimester, the likelihood of increased uterine tone is high. Therefore, at the slightest malaise or increased heart rate during the lesson, you should stop it and consult a doctor.

Exercising during pregnancy is a controversial and controversial point for many. Some argue that it is impossible to engage in the early stages, someone - that the latter. And some believe that exercise is beneficial for the development of the fetus, pregnancy and childbirth. So how are things really going? In this article, we will look at a strength training program for pregnant women in the gym.

Can pregnant women do strength training in the gym?

Pregnancy is not a dangerous ailment and not an injury, therefore, you should not sharply reduce physical activity for this period, only if it does not contradict the doctor's prescriptions. However, here it is important to be vigilant and, perhaps, go to more than one specialist. Another doctor may prohibit you from strength training for no apparent reason so as not to take unnecessary responsibility. At the same time, an insufficiently competent doctor may ignore some symptoms that may be a contraindication to training.

In the absence of complications during pregnancy, moderate strength training is good for the baby and for you.

The elasticity and flexibility of the muscles increases in a pregnant woman so that she can bear and give birth to a baby, so there is no need to think that excess movement during pregnancy can be dangerous.

However, there are contraindications:

• exacerbation of any disease
• uterine tone
• gestosis (edema, convulsions, intense excretion of protein in the urine)

If there are no contraindications, training brings significant benefits:

1. The body is saturated with oxygen, which is extremely important for the development of the fetus. At different stages of development, a lack of oxygen can lead to disruptions in the functioning of the brain, nervous system, and so on.
2. The muscles are in good shape.
3. If you do fitness, you are practically not at risk of postpartum depression.
4. Exercise such as swimming makes childbirth easier.
5. With regular exercise, you will experience less gastrointestinal problems.
6. And, of course, it will be much easier to keep track of your weight and get in shape faster.

If you have not played sports before pregnancy, then you should not start with strength training; it is better to try yoga for pregnant women, swimming or breathing exercises. And after a month or two, start doing strength training, but carefully and with small weights.

Moderate strength training has been shown to not cause developmental disabilities or health problems for the mom. But excessive exercise can increase intra-abdominal pressure, which is not very good.

When it comes to exercises such as planks, crunches, and other abdominal exercises, extreme care must be taken. The plank is not a prohibited exercise, it helps to strengthen the muscles of the back, but if there are any doubts or discomfort, it is better not to perform it during this period.

Prohibited exercises for pregnant women

During pregnancy, you should exclude such sports in which bumps, falls or sudden jolts are possible. This can provoke an early miscarriage (first trimester) or a late premature birth.

You can not do:

• any kind of struggle
• equestrian sports
• active games such as football, volleyball
• ski sports

If we are talking about a complex of strength training, then all exercises must be done carefully. We definitely choose the weight of the weights less than usual.

Exercises like Bulgarian lunges, deadlifts on one leg, that is, those where you can lose balance, are excluded.

From cardio exercises, you can leave a stepper, an exercise bike (as long as it is convenient to pedal). You need to forget about the treadmill: there is always a risk of falling, and intensive running may not be very useful.

Concentrate on isolation exercises and basic, lightweight exercises. Let's see if we can create a strength training program that is suitable for exercising during pregnancy.

Exercise in the gym during pregnancy

If you worked in the gym, you can continue training, but you will have to slightly adjust the program to the current state: reduce the weight of the shells, remove some exercises, reduce the load in general.

Let's take a look at what your workout might consist of.

Chest and arm workout

We refuse such an exercise as the bench press, it can be dangerous for several reasons: you can not hold the barbell, overextend your muscles. Push-ups can be practiced until a certain period, but as a result it will become extremely uncomfortable.

Incline dumbbell press

We replace the barbell press with a dumbbell press. We need a bench with an adjustable back.

1. We set the angle of inclination of the bench to 30 degrees.
2. We take the dumbbells in our hands and lie down with our backs on the bench.
3. We put our feet on the sides of the bench on the whole foot, it is necessary that the heels do not come off the floor during the exercise.
4. In the lower back, create a deflection, leaning on the upper back.
5. We keep our arms bent at the elbows on the sides of the body.
6. Keep the elbow angle at 90 degrees.
7. As we exhale, we begin to squeeze the dumbbells up, but do not push them against each other.
8. As you inhale, lower your arms to an angle of 90 degrees or slightly lower.

In this case, you can perform the exercise by holding the brushes parallel to each other, or by turning them with your palms towards the legs, or by turning the brushes while performing the bench press.

We repeat 12-15 times, 3-4 approaches.

Exercise machine "butterfly"

To train the muscles of the chest in gyms there is an excellent simulator called the "butterfly". It works on the principle of converging the arms (you can do this exercise with a free weight using dumbbells). In some cases, the machine allows you to perform a seated press (as if you were pressing the bar while lying on a bench).

1. We set the weight on the simulator.
2. We sit down so that our back is close to the back.
3. We bend a little in the lower back.
4. We take on the special handles.
5. We put our feet on the sides of the bench, steadily, on the whole foot.
6. On exhalation, with a strong movement, we bring our hands together, fix and smoothly return to their original position.

We repeat 12-15 times, 3 sets.

A good isolation exercise for the chest muscles is crossover convergence. This is a fairly functional simulator, and you can pump all muscle groups on it.

1. Extend the crossover handles so they are approximately at chest level.
2. Place the correct weight on the blocks.
3. Take the handles and take one or two steps forward. Some put one foot forward for convenience.
4. Lean forward a little, about 45 degrees. The back should remain straight.
5. As you exhale, bring your hands together in front of you. Pause briefly and return to starting position.

We perform this exercise 10-12 times, 3-4 working approaches.

Leg workout

It is worth giving up exercises such as leg presses and heavy squats. Include more isolated exercises so as not to overexert the body, and do the basic exercises with small weights. In addition, safety is important, so, for example, squats with a barbell on the shoulders are best replaced with squats in the Smith machine.

Leg extension in the simulator

One of the safest and most effective front thigh exercises is seated leg extension.

1. Initially, you need to adjust the simulator to your height. Adjust your back so that your back is pressed firmly against it, and the upper bolster (or seat) does not rest on your calf muscles. The lower roller should not be placed on the lower leg, as is often done, but on the upper area of \u200b\u200bthe foot.
2. Set up a light weight and sit on the machine.
3. Place your legs under the roller.
4. Hands can hold on to the handles, and if they are not there, then to the seat.
5. Keep your back straight and press it against the back.
6. We inhale and straighten our legs as we exhale. In this case, it is important that the movement is not abrupt, as this can damage the knee joint.
7. At the top, tighten your quads and hold for a few seconds.
8. As you inhale, lower your legs down gently, smoothly and not completely.

You do not need to "throw" your legs, lower them completely. Firstly, this way the load on the muscles is maintained all the time. Secondly, you are not creating compression in the knee (the angle should be about 90 degrees).

We perform the exercise 12-15 times, 3-4 approaches.

Leg curl in the simulator

Flexion can be done while standing or lying down. Lying down, this exercise can be done simultaneously with two legs. There is also a special simulator for this. However, you can perform lying leg bending only in the early stages, in the future it will have to be done while standing, but the principle will remain the same.

The exercise pumps the back of the thigh (not the buttocks!).

1. This machine should also first be adjusted so that the roller is just above your Achilles tendon (not in the middle of your lower leg).
2. If possible, knees should hang down, and not rest against the bench.
3. We set the weight and lie on our stomach.
4. We put our feet on the roller and grab the handles.
5. We breathe in and, as we exhale, we bend our legs at the knees, while the roller should not jump or come off your legs. The movement should be slow and smooth.
6. Another important point is that your body should be pressed tightly against the bench when you bend your legs so as not to overload your lower back.
7. We fix the upper point (do not touch the buttocks) and slowly lower our legs down.

We also perform the exercise about 12-15 times, 3-4 approaches.

It will not work to perform leg curls while standing on a special simulator, since there is usually a pillow under the stomach, so you can do flexions on a simulator in which leg extensions are performed.

Both of these exercises are isolation exercises and are best done at the end when you do squats, deadlifts, or lunges.

The internal thigh muscles work well and strengthen the pelvis with plie squats (with a wide stance of the legs), which are recommended for pregnant women.

The exercise can be done without weights, with a barbell, kettlebell, or dumbbells.

Let's consider the option with dumbbells (or one). It is the most convenient and secure.

1. We take the shell in hand.
2. We spread our legs wide (much wider than the shoulders), turn the socks to the sides.
3. Keep your back straight, belly tucked up.
4. Hands with dumbbells can be held near the chest or along the abdomen (while this is possible in the early stages).
5. We take a breath and begin to slowly go down, bending our knees.
6. We try to keep the body level, you can bend, but not too much.
7. Knees point towards the socks.
8. With an inhalation, squat to the parallel of the thigh with the floor (or lower, if the stretch allows).
9. As we exhale, we rise up.

We carry out 10-12 times. 5 sets will be enough.

A set of workouts for the back and shoulders

Some exercises, such as pulling to the chin or "rowing", will become uncomfortable over the course of pregnancy, but there are exercises for the shoulders and back (which is extremely important for pregnant girls) that can be done throughout the period.

Barbell Row to Chest

This exercise is similar to a barbell pull to the waist, but the latter works out the middle and lower trapezium and lats, and it will be uncomfortable to do it already at 4-5 months. The barbell pull to the chest works out the back beam of deltas (shoulders).

1. We take the bar with a straight grip wider than the shoulders.
2. We get straight. Legs shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
3. We tilt the body forward with a straight back to parallel with the floor or slightly higher if the back is rounded.
4. Bend your knees slightly.
5. We take a breath and as we exhale, we begin to pull the bar to the chest. At the same time, the elbows go to the sides.
6. At the top point, as it were, we bring the shoulder blades together, fix this position for 1-2 seconds and lower our hands down.

We do 10-12 times, 3-4 approaches.

Video: Bent-over Barbell Row

Row of the vertical block to the chest

One good exercise for your latissimus dorsi is the upper block pull. These muscles run from the middle of the back to the lower back. Pregnant women often experience back pain, so working on these muscles is highly desirable.

The main mistake that almost everyone makes is that you do not need to pull the bar towards yourself, to the chest, it moves vertically - up and down to chest level.

We repeat 8-12 times, 3-4 sets.

Dumbbell Row

This exercise is also basic, several joints are involved in it, the muscles of the arms - biceps, triceps, rear deltas. But the muscles most involved are the trapezius and lats.

For this exercise, we need to find a horizontal bench and dumbbells.

1. We put one leg with a knee on the bench. We take a dumbbell in the opposite hand, that is, if we put our right foot on the bench, then the dumbbell is in the left hand.
2. Place the other hand on the bench with the palm of your hand.
3. The back must be straight.
4. Now we begin to pull the dumbbell to the stomach, that is, as if taking the hand back a little. This will allow the back to be included in the work. If you just pull to the chest, then the load will go to the rear deltas.
5. At the top point, we strive to bring the scapula to the center.
6. After that, we lower the hand down, aligning the elbow.

For each hand we perform 8-12 times, 3-4 approaches.

Training program for pregnant women

We offer you a training scheme in the gym for a pregnant girl.

Warm up for 7-10 minutes before training. You cannot start a workout without a warm-up.

First, we perform complex basic exercises. We work out 3 times a week and divide the days by muscle groups.

Workouts should not be long - 30-40 minutes.

Day 1: chest, biceps and shoulders:

• dumbbell bench press lying on an incline bench - 10x5
• barbell pull to the chest - 12x5
• mixing hands in a crossover - 12x4

Day 2: legs

• plie squats with dumbbells or kettlebells - 10x5
• swing back while standing - 15x4 each
• leg curl in a lying simulator - 15x4

Day 3: back

• pull to the chest of the vertical block - 12x5
• thrust for the head of the vertical block - 12x5
• dumbbell deadlift - 10x4 each
• pull to the chest in the slope - 8-10x4

It is highly advisable to reduce the intensity of strength training in the gym during pregnancy, as well as start swimming and / or yoga (there is a special yoga for pregnant women). This type of workout will strengthen your back and pelvic muscles and teach you how to breathe properly. This will not only make pregnancy and childbirth easier, but it will also keep you and your baby healthy.