Exercises to get fit for birth

[Magpie24]

I'm early on in my pregnancy but was pretty active beforehand and want to keep up with that after my first trimester lethargy departs. I'm 11 weeks now and feeling much brighter so beginning to think about exercise again.

Can anyone recommend some good exercises to do to prepare for birth? I know I need to be fit and healthy but any areas to focus on - perhaps core? Any types of classes you found helpful at all? Yoga? Spinning? I'm open to pretty much anything.

[GiveMyHeadPeaceffs]

I did spin until I was 6 months and kettle bells until I was 5 months on. After that I swam. I found baby yoga great for aches and pains and just stretching, I did my classes with Yogabellies and my instructor was really fab.

Just keep up with whatever exercise you're used to doing unless for medical reasons you've been told otherwise. Oh and if you swim, do the crawl otherwise it can wreck havoc on your sacroiliac joint and sciatica. Good luck

[DryHeave]

I kept going throughout pregnancy, but saw a trainer each week to help adapt and also keep me accountable! I ran till week 34 or so - very slowly at that stage.

After 16 weeks I didn’t do any exercises lying on my back, so abs were inventive!

I kept up leg work with a machine (rather than squats or lunges) and this was possibly the most important thing for me as I laboured standing/kneeling and I’m almost certain I wouldn’t have had the strength to do so if I’d not kept up leg work/Running.

Congratulations and good luck!

[AuntieStella]

The only exercise that makes a difference to the birth and your post-natal recovery are those for the pelvic floor.

For keeping active generally, keep doing whatever you enjoyed before, so for me that was yoga (the breathing might be useful, too). My friend swore by swimming (she felt less bulky in the water)

Just be careful to listen to your body, and if something starts to become uncomfy, scale it back or switch to something else.

[user1493413286]

Pelvic floor every day definitely helped me for after. I loved pregnancy yoga; the breathing definitely helped for pain and even just calming myself down during my pregnancy.
I had a training programme set out by someone trained at the gym I went to and he gave me exercises for my core and which happened to help pelvic floor too

[Nomad86]

Aquanatal classes. They target the muscles needed for childbirth, easy to do even when your heavily pregnant and you don't need to be a swimmer to do it.