
– Lying on your back, bend and spread your knees so that your soles touch the floor. Tighten your glutes by lifting your thighs off the floor, stay in this position for 8 – 10 seconds.
– In the all fours position, lift one of the legs tensely. Bend the leg at the knee. Repeat the movement by changing legs.
– Sit on the floor with your legs stretched forward. Spread your arms to the sides so that the palms touch the floor. With the force of your right arm, lift your left hip off the floor and try to move forward. Try the movement on your other arm.
– All movements should be done with the glutes tightened.
Exercises for the legs
– Stand with your hands against the wall and repeat alternately. Lift the heel of one foot and stretch the other foot out to the side. – Repeat the movement alternating feet.
– It is more effective to perform the previous exercise by jumping.
– Without breaking the previous position, swing your foot inward, keeping your foot tense.
Exercises for the waist circumference
– Standing, spread your legs to the sides. Place your hands on your waist and stretch your upper body to the sides.
– Standing, spread your legs to the sides. Bend your arms at the elbow and bring them together at chest level. In this position, turn your body to the right and left.
– Kneel with your arms crossed at chest level. Turn your body to the right and left without breaking your position.
-Standing on your left knee, stretch your right leg to the side. Stretch your body towards the stretched leg. Repeat the same movement on your right knee.
– Kneel with your arms crossed at chest level. Sit to the right and left without breaking your position.
Lying down exercises for the abdominal muscles
– Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees so that your soles touch the floor. Extend your arms towards the hips. After pulling the knees towards the chest, stretch them out. Stay in this position holding your breath for 8-10 seconds. Return to the starting position.
– In the supine position, spread your arms out to the sides with your palms facing the floor. Extend your legs up so that they are at right angles to your body, swing them slightly from side to side.
– In the previous position, try to touch the legs to the floor from the right. Once they are upright again, try the same movement from the left side. Without breaking your position, open and close the legs to both sides.
Exercises for the pectoral muscles
– Sit cross-legged. Spread your arms out to the sides, palms facing upwards, and stretch them backwards in tension.
– Extend the arms upwards in the same position. Stretch them backwards in a tense manner.
– Standing, spread your legs to the sides. Clench your fists and cross your arms forward. Change your arms and continue the movement.
– Sit cross-legged. Bend your arms upwards at the elbow. Stretch backwards.
Waist Slimming Exercises
-Stand upright with your legs slightly apart and your arms hanging down. Let your upper body hang down with your arms and try to touch the toes with your hands.
– Sit cross-legged with hands behind your back. Raise your arms up with palms facing out and spread your legs to the sides. Try to stretch your upper body forward. Hold this position for 8 to 10 seconds while holding your breath.
– You can start the same exercise by stretching your legs forward.
Abdominal, Chest and Buttocks Sculpting and Waist Slimming Exercises
– Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees so that your soles touch the floor. Stretch your arms towards the hips. Squeeze the groin upwards so that the waist is stable. Stay in this position for 8 – 10 seconds.
– Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees so that your soles touch the floor. Stretch your arms towards the hips. Try to bring the knees closer to the chest. Stay in this position for 8 – 10 seconds, holding your breath.
– As in the previous exercise, lift your head forward at the same time as bringing your knees closer to your chest. In this way, you will work your chest muscles.
– Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees so that your soles touch the floor. Stretch your arms forward and try to bring your head towards your knees. Stay in this position for 8 – 10 seconds.
Other Recommended Exercises During Pregnancy
The aim is to reduce varicose veins and clot formation. Bending the feet up and down, stretching and twisting exercises are performed.
In the cat position, the back is humped and the head is pulled in and exhaled. In the camel position, the back is hollowed while inhaling and the head is facing upwards. In the cat-camel position, the pressure is relieved, which helps circulation and reduces the likelihood of varicose veins and leg cramps. It is a classic exercise for pregnant women. It aims to maintain tonus and symmetrical range of motion in the muscles around the waist, abdomen and pelvis.
These areas are under hormonal and mechanical stress. Knees should be bent, feet about 60 cm in front of the knees, in full contact with the floor and the distance between them should be the distance between the shoulders. A light pillow can be placed under the head and the head is kept fully relaxed. Exhale while contracting. While doing this movement, the ribs and pelvis are brought closer together and the chest is not lifted off the floor. The hips are slightly off the floor and in full contact with the floor during contraction. Doing this movement on your back can increase the pressure on the great vessels. For this reason, it can be done lying on its side or in the cat camel position.
It can be done sitting or standing. It is done from front to back. Repeated 10 to 20 times.
Hands are joined behind the neck and elbows are pushed back. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 1 – 3 times. It can be done with the help of a chair. Hands touch each other. As the mobility of the waist increases, the arms can be pulled back further. The head should be below the shoulders. The dorsal kyphosis should straighten and the shoulders should not rotate outwards.
Back, Chest and Neck Exercises
Rational neck stretching:
If the hands do not reach, it is done with the help of a towel. It is held for 5-10 seconds and can go up to 1 minute.
Chicken wings:
Stand so that the distance between the feet is the distance between the shoulders. The arm and forearm are held so that the angle between them is 120 degrees. The elbows are brought back and towards each other and held in this position for 5 seconds. This movement is repeated 5-25 times.
Another form of exercise that serves this purpose is to lean down against a wall with your hands. It can be done in a more upright position as the gestational month progresses.
Pregnancy Exercises
Hip stretching:
Lying on the back, the right foot is placed on the thigh close to the left knee with the ankle outside. The left hand grabs the back of the left thigh. With the right hand, it is grasped straight from the inside. While the thigh is pulled with the left hand, the right knee is pushed. Lie on the back. The knee is bent and brought closer to the chest. Grasp the inside of the foot with the hand on the same side. The foot is pressed downwards.
Groin stretching movements;
Sit with your back against the wall. While the soles of the feet touch each other, the hand is grabbed by the ankles. The arms and knees are brought closer to the floor. A stretch should be felt on the inside of the thigh. Relax and repeat. A blanket can be placed under the buttocks to maintain normal lumbar curvature. The blanket should be added to create a thickness of 3-4 cm.
Squatting;
If the degree of flexibility of the hips, legs and back does not allow comfortable squatting, a book can be placed under the hips. Feet should be slightly turned out. Hands are in full contact with each other. The elbows are placed on the knees and the legs are slightly pushed outwards. Squatting strengthens the muscles, prepares the legs and pelvis for birth, and reduces the load on the waist when lifting heavy weights.
Bridge building;
It is the most popular of the strengthening exercises during pregnancy. It is an excellent exercise, strengthening the lower back, hips and legs. It also increases blood flow to the pelvic and lumbar region. Lying on your back with your hips, abdomen and legs on a rug, lift your hips off the floor. In the meantime, the breath is held and exhaled while returning to normal.
Sliding from the wall;
The back rests against the wall and the feet are held forward. The position where the back is most comfortable is found. It slides downwards. Meanwhile, the knees should not fall too far in front of the feet. Stop and stand up until you get tired. If it is difficult to stand in this position, bring the feet closer together and assume a more upright position.
Postures, Movements and Other Movements that Pregnant Women Should Pay Attention to in Their Daily Lives
Knees and hips should be kept bent when sitting or lying down. When at rest, the feet should be kept elevated at hip level with a support.
The body should be supported while doing work. The pregnant woman should not lean forward, should squat, but should not stay in a squatting position for a long time.
Recommended Types of Exercise During Pregnancy
It is appropriate to start exercises in the 4th month of pregnancy and not later than the 8th month. The exercises are recommended for pregnant women with no medical risks.
Relaxation Exercises
Child’s Pose:
It is a yoga pose and has relaxing stretching properties. It is recommended to reduce increased lumbar flattening. Squatting on the feet, knees and feet are kept apart to maintain a certain span, toes are brought closer together. Then the head touches the floor and the arms are brought to the level of the legs. In late pregnancy, a pillow can be used to make the movement better. In the supine position, bend your knees with your feet slightly to the side.
Contract yourself for 5 seconds, thinking that you are trying to hold your urine. Then rest for about 10 seconds. Inhale during relaxation and exhale during contraction. Lie on the floor on your back. Place a pillow under your buttocks. Bend your legs diagonally at the knee. Squeeze a ball about 20 cm in diameter between your knees and try to lift your hips upwards.