When you’re working out, you’ll want to stop exercising immediately if you begin to experience pain or discomfort, excessive fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, vaginal bleeding or gushing fluid from your vagina, or you notice that there’s a decrease in your baby’s movements.
3. What are the Guidelines for Lying on My Back During Exercise?
After the first trimester, you’ll want to avoid lying on your back during any form of exercise. Lying on your back adds pressure on the vena cava (a main vein that returns blood to your heart), and this can decrease blood flow to your brain and uterus. As a result, you can get dizzy, experience shortness of breath, or start to get nauseous. You’ll want to prevent these sensations by using an incline or semi-upright position. Use a pillow to help you.
4. What Are Safe Exercises To Prevent Blood Clots While on Bed Rest?
Due to the cardiovascular changes that occur in pregnancy, you’re at higher risk of developing blood clots when you’re expecting. If you develop pregnancy complications ““ such as premature labor ““ your doctor may place you on bed rest. (Make sure that you ask for your healthcare provider’s OK before trying any of these exercises.) To promote leg circulation, you may want to try the following three exercises:
- Ankle Pumps: Since you’re lying down, extend your legs. Move your foot and ankle up and down for 10 repetitions. Repeat with the other leg.
- Ankle Alphabet: Using your foot, trace the alphabet. Your big toe would be the “chalk” that’s writing on the chalkboard.
- Leg lifts: Get on your side, lift your top leg up 10 inches. Lower and repeat for 15 times. Get on the opposite side and do the same thing.
5. Should I Worry about Heart Rate During My Exercises?
You may have heard that pregnant women should keep their heart rates under 140 beats per minute during their workouts. You shouldn’t stress out about this too much. Just keep your workout intensity at a level that’s challenging, but where you can still talk. Don’t exercise to the point that you’re out of breath or completely exhausted. By the end of your workout session, you need to feel energized.
Thank-you for reading this post. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.