After the first trimester, pregnant women cannot lie on their back and perform their abdominal workouts, because this places too much pressure on the vena cava ““ a major vein that transports blood from your legs back to the heart. But if you have a pregnancy stability ball, you can balance on the ball and perform your abdominal exercises without much trouble.
Although pregnancy stability balls are sturdy, there is still a chance that you may lose your balance. Make sure that you sit with a wide stance on the ball, as this gives you more stability. For an extra level of protection, you may want to exercise near a chair or a wall. This gives you a backup in the event that you feel unbalanced on the pregnancy stability ball.
If you’re looking to workout using a pregnancy stability ball, here are a few exercises to try:
- Balance Exercise ““ Sit upright on your pregnancy stability ball, arms by your side, and your feet should be flat on the floor, hip width apart. Make sure you feel balanced before continuing. Next, reach both arms overhead and squeeze your shoulder blades down as you lower your arms to the original position.
- Abdominal Crunch ““ Sit upright on the pregnancy stability ball. Walk your feet forward in small steps, keeping your feet in front of your knees, until your lower back is against the stability ball. Your feet should be flat against the floor, and your knees should be bent. Your body should be at an incline with your hips at a lower position than your shoulders. Next, place your hands behind your head with your fingertips touching. Exhale and contract your abs in toward your spine. Lift your head, arms and shoulders up and forward. Then, return to the incline position. Do as many repetitions as you’d like. When you’re finished, walk your feet back in so that you can safely sit up.
- Plie and Lift ““ Stand with your feet about two feet apart, your knees bent and your toes and knees turned out. This is the plie position. Next, hold the pregnancy stability ball with both hands with your arms toward the floor. Keep your torso lifted and your knees straight, while you lift the pregnancy stability ball overhead. Bend your knees and return your arms to the starting position. Repeat several more times.
There are many other exercises you can do with a pregnancy stability ball. If you’re interested in learning more, try to find a prenatal Pilates or prenatal yoga class in your local area. Thank-you for reading this post. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Click Here to Get Our Recommended Pregnancy Stability Ball
Resources:
Fit Pregnancy. “Get on the Ball.” http://www.fitpregnancy.com/workouts/prenatal-workouts/get-ball