Healthy & Fit

The best sports for expectant moms

Pregnancy demands a lot from your body. Reason enough to keep it fit – with a gentle workout that is good for you and your baby. The emphasis is on “gentle”, because you should avoid all sports that involve a high risk of injury. Skiing, horseback riding or squash should therefore not be on your training schedule. Dynamic abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups, are also out of the question.

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Pregnancy gymnastics, yoga and Pilates

Better suited are gymnastics courses that are specially tailored to the needs of pregnant women – you can find appropriate offers in your region or online. Yoga is a particularly good way to get your body in the right mood for the birth. This Asian movement science promotes flexibility and teaches you to control your breath – a helpful exercise for the upcoming delivery. Or would you prefer a Pilates class? The exercises are specifically designed to strengthen your back, for example by stretching in a quadrupedal position. You also train your deepest muscle layers intensively.

Swimming, walking, cycling

Swimming and aqua fitness are also recommended: they strengthen your muscles in a particularly gentle way because your body is carried by the water. Walking or light hiking will improve your condition and provide your baby with plenty of oxygen. Cycling strengthens the tone of your lower body and is normally allowed until shortly before birth.

Exercises on the exercise ball

But you can also do something for your fitness at home. If you have an exercise ball, use it for a light pelvic floor workout: sit on the ball and let your pelvis rotate first to the left, then to the right – 10 times in each direction. Keep your pelvis tense the whole time. The so-called see-saw is also beneficial: sit on the ball with your legs wide open and the balls of your feet touching the floor. Now bob up and down 10 times each.

With improved fitness, you’ll be able to get through labor and delivery much better, and you’ll get back to your original figure more quickly after delivery. So it’s worth setting aside some time during your pregnancy to work out.