well-being fitness stay strong!


8 Simple exercises that build strength and minimize discomfort


BY LYNSEY CALDWELL OWEN, MD, FACOG, CAITY DAVIS AND JILL STUMP


There are many great advantages to maintain- ing or improving physical fitness in pregnancy, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. Your rapidly growing belly can also present some unique challenges that might necessitate adaptations to your pre-pregnan- cy routine.


In combination with frequent activities


that improve your cardiovascular fitness — such as power walking, swimming, stationary biking, etc. — the exercises that follow can help decrease your risk for pregnancy complica- tions, improve your overall fitness, minimize common aches and pains, and prepare your body to carry around a child for the next few years. On two to three days per


week, you should aim for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of each exercise with a 45- to 60-second rest between sets. The only piece of equipment you will need is a resistance band, which you can purchase inexpensively at most sports equipment stores or in the fitness section of a superstore.


1 Squats These are great for building lower body strength and keeping your body strong, as joint laxity increases during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. You can do squats with your legs shoulder-width apart or in a plié position (toes angled outwards), which may be more comfortable as your belly grows. While keeping your chest up, lower down and come back up in a controlled motion (aim for two seconds down and two seconds up). Watch that your knees do not extend further than your toes throughout the exercise.


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