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(Third and last of a three-part series)
By: Birgit Nakamhela
International Pilates Instructor/Personal Trainer, ISSA, IST, HFPA
Disclaimer: The advice given in this article is for general informational purposes only. Before beginning this or any other exercise program, please consult your physician to see if these recommendations are appropriate for your specific physical condition.
As we mentioned in our first column (November 2006) pregnancy can be a nightmare to a woman who has been accustomed to being in control of herself and her own body – without outside interference. While the physical change is obvious, the mental transformation that takes place can be equally humbling. However, neither the physical nor the mental conversion has to be taken – as the old saying goes – sitting down.
In my most recent column (December 2006), we focused on the importance to a pregnant woman of posture during exercise. If you’ll recall the first column (November 2006), we concentrated on breathing. In this third and final column, we’ll complete our suggestions on how to maintain control over your body during pregnancy with recommendations on more specific routines using several valuable and extremely worthwhile aids.
But before you get started exercising, you will need a few items to help you in your routine. You will need:
Warm up
First and foremost, warm up! Walk on the spot (hold onto the wall or a chair). In the second warm-up exercise, if you have a ball, sit and gently bounce, circle your hips, march, etc.
Leg, Calf and Pelvic Workout
Now you can begin exercising. First, take a big ball behind your back and against the wall. Breathe in and prepare and lengthen up through the spine. Breathe out and rise up onto your toes. Breathe in and hold. Breathe out, slowly bringing your heels back to the floor. Your head stays up. When your heels are on the floor, slightly bend your knees. Breathe in and return. Repeat this six times.
If you want to vary this, you can also bend slightly lower into a squat position (legs are wider than hip-width apart with knees facing outwards).
Squatting
Squatting is a popular birth position. When you squat, the pelvis is wide open and the baby’s head is pressing down. Stand against the wall, with either pillows underneath or a partner holding your hands. Breathe in wide, and as you breathe out, slowly lower yourself down into a squat. Work with your legs, keeping your upper body stable. A variation of this is to breathe in wide, lengthen your body through the top of your head and keep your arms down by your sides. Breathe out, bending your knees directly over the center of each foot. At the same time, raise both arms out in front of you to shoulder height. Breathe in and lengthen back up to standing tall. Repeat this five times.
Arm Opener
Lie on your side, your head on a pillow, knees curled up at a right angle to your body. Your back should be in a straight line, keeping the natural curve. Place a tennis ball between the knees. Arms should be extended in front of your and your palms together at should height. Breathe in to prepare, and breathe out and hollow.
Breathe in as you slowly extend and lift the upper arm, keeping the elbow soft and the shoulder blade down into the back. Keep your eyes on your hand so that the head follows the arm movement. You are aiming to touch the floor behind your back, but don’t force it. Keep the knees together, and the pelvis still. Breathe out and bring the arm back. Repeat this five times.
The Pillow Squeeze
Lie on your back in neutral, feet together, knees bent. Place a cushion or pillow between your knees. Breathe in to prepare. Breathe out and squeeze the cushion/pillow between your knees, but keep the pelvis and tailbone down on the floor. Count up to five, keep breathing and slowly release.
Back Exercises
Kneel on your hands and knees with the hands under the shoulders and fingers pointing forwards, knees under the hips and keeping the spine neutral. Inhale to prepare and exhale while stretching one arm forward. Inhale while drawing the arm back into position, and repeat on the other side. Then repeat with the leg and repeat with both the arm and leg on the opposite side.
The “Cat”
Begin on all fours (four-point kneeling). Place your hands directly beneath your shoulders, with the fingers facing forwards. Your knees should be in line with your hips, the lower legs straight. Look straight down at the floor so that the back of your neck is long. Find the natural, neutral curve in your spine. Breathe in to prepare. Breathe out and start with the base of the spine, curling your tailbone under, and rounding your back. Bring your chin toward your chest.
Breathe in and stretch your back even further. Breathe out and slowly uncurl the spine starting from the crown of the head, mobilizing vertebra-by-vertebra and return to the starting position. Feel the length of your spine. Repeat this five times.
Foot Workout
You may either sit or stand. Feet should remain flat on the floor in parallel. Keep the toes long and do not allow scrunching them up. Draw the base of your toes back towards the heel thus increasing the arches. Release. Then repeat 10 times.
The “Toe” Wave
Try lifting only your big toes first, keeping the rest down on the floor and then try keeping the big toes down and lifting the other toes. Repeat 10 times and make sure that your feet do not roll in or out. You can also try to separate your toes. Lift them off the floor one at a time like a “toe” wave, then place them down in sequence, starting with the little toe and spacing them as widely as possible. Repeat this five times. If you need to, help in the beginning with the hands to help isolate the toes.
Another way to exercise your toes is trying to pick up things from the floor with your feet. Then, if you feel so inclined, after a long day of work, put your feet on a small reflexology ball and roll your feet back and forth. Then give yourself a foot massage . . . you deserve it!
Good luck in your exercise routine. We believe that using the proper effective exercise aids to help you establish a regular and focused routine, will enable you to regain the vigor that was there before your pregnancy – and just as importantly, maintain that vigor after your child is born.
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