Fitness for pregnant women in the pool. Doctors' recommendations

One of the most beneficial types of physical activity for pregnant women is swimming and fitness in the pool. Such exercises allow you to include most of the muscles in the work, but spare the joints. Doctors told RBC Sport about how to master these classes correctly.

Many doctors agree that exercising in the water is the most optimal form of activity that is suitable for expectant mothers. Such exercises evenly include almost all muscle groups in the work, and the level of load can be determined individually depending on the duration of pregnancy and the level of physical fitness.

The obstetrician-gynecologist of the SM-Clinic Reproductive HEALTH Center Victoria Fisyuk and the physiotherapy instructor of the MEDSI Children's Clinic Maria Agafonova spoke about how to properly organize fitness classes in the RBC Sport pool.

Victoria Fisyuk (Photo: https://www.smclinic.ru/)

Victoria Fisyuk, obstetrician-gynecologist at the Reproductive Health Center "SM-Clinic"

The birth of a healthy baby largely depends on the future mother. The initial background of health, habits, we are talking only about healthy ones, lifestyle, diet and culture of nutrition, sports, and of course all this should be started not during pregnancy, but long before it occurs. Any sport is an antihypoxic program that is extremely useful for both the mother and her unborn baby.

Pregnancy should not stop the movement, do not believe the claims that during pregnancy you need to lie down. When regular physical exercises are introduced into the habit, metabolism improves, the work of all organs and systems of the body improves - the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. All this together will also help maintain your figure.

The pool is perhaps the most appropriate sport that can be used throughout the entire gestation period. Mom's baby swims in the amniotic fluid, and mom is in the pool! Very harmonious and almost natural. Of course, there may be contraindications, so it is recommended to consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist before starting classes.

It is advisable to start going to the pool even before pregnancy, try to learn how to swim. In the pool, in addition to swimming, you can do all kinds of exercises, preferably under the supervision of an instructor - this is called aqua aerobics. All exercises in water, swimming significantly reduce the load on the body, and it is easier to bear, the joints are unloaded during swimming, the load on the spine is reduced, and physical exercises increase muscle tone, internal organs also begin to be included in the motor process, the intestines, liver and kidneys, heart. Giving even a slight load, the movement along the circulatory and lymphatic pathways improves, as a result, unnecessary swelling, pain in the back and joints go away. The mechanisms of the antihypoxic program are turned on, endorphins, the hormones of happiness, begin to be produced.

If you do not play sports during pregnancy, then, on the contrary, the risk of developing complications such as miscarriage, toxicosis at any stage of pregnancy, pathological weight gain increases. Classes in the pool are especially suitable for those pregnant women who, for some reason, did not pay due attention to sports before. If you are afraid to start exercising in the gym, come to the pool. Even if you don’t swim in the pool, but just walk around and move your arms and legs smoothly, your body will not only be kept in good shape. At the same time, it will relax, due to the lack of gravity, the weight of the woman and the child is not felt. The longer the gestation period, the more difficult it is for the mother to “carry” the pregnancy, and it is in the water that you can “rest”. In addition, thanks to the movement of water around the body, you will receive a kind of massage.

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It is very useful, under the supervision of a coach, to conduct dives under water. This is a kind of imitation of future contractions, the most crucial period of childbirth: during an attempt for 1–1.5 minutes, a woman does not breathe, but pushes. Mom, together with the baby, will practice, for a short period, at the time of immersion under water, she will turn off breathing, later, during childbirth, this will help to avoid stress.

The most optimal water temperature is 22-24 degrees Celsius. If the water is cool, it is not comfortable and given the state of pregnancy, which precludes rapid movement, it is difficult to quickly warm up and you can even freeze! If the temperature is above 24 degrees, it will be hot, thereby there will be an inadequate reaction of the vessels and their excessive expansion can even lead to dizziness! You can not go into the water abruptly, jumping into the water is contraindicated! Come in smoothly, to get used to the temperature of the body to the temperature of the water! Avoid swallowing water while swimming, especially if it contains chlorine. It is advisable to visit pools where the water is disinfected with ozone or ultraviolet light.

If you know how to swim breaststroke - please, this type of swimming helps to stretch the muscles of the back and legs, crotch, arms. It is undesirable to swim on the back, due to the pressure of the fetus on the large vessels of the mother. The safest style of swimming is crawl, you can use swimming boards, breathe calmly and evenly while swimming, after 100–150 meters of distance, take a break and restore your breathing and listen to yourself. If you don’t know how to swim, then it’s not scary - get up to the side and do all kinds of exercises: lifting the body up and down, on the sides, bending your legs and pushing them apart, swinging your legs together and alternately. It is advisable to do each exercise 3 sets of 15-20 times. All exercises should be carried out alternating - face or back to the side.

After childbirth, swimming helps to lose extra pounds that have accumulated during pregnancy, improve the psycho-emotional state. Before swimming, it is necessary to feed the child and decant the rest of the MILK, if nevertheless the milk got into the pool - do not worry about this, it does not pose any danger to others. Swimming does not reduce lactation in any way! On the contrary, one of the great methods is to relax and take a little rest with the benefit of the overall effect on your body. Swimming is always an increase in immunity, mood, body improvement.

After visiting the pool, you should always rinse the body with plain water and then apply a neutral body cream to avoid dry skin. While in the pool, you need to be extremely careful, wear comfortable rubber shoes, avoid slipping, walk along the paths. The swimsuit should be closed and tight enough, preferably with the effect of supporting the stomach.

Maria Agafonova (Photo: https://medsi.ru/)

Maria Agafonova, physiotherapy instructor at the MEDSI Children's Clinic

A moderate training regimen during pregnancy is primarily associated with changes occurring during this period in the work of various organs and systems: endocrine, cardiovascular, pelvic organs, etc. These changes in the body of a pregnant woman protect both the child and the mother from the adverse effects of the environment.

If a woman went in for sports before pregnancy, then you should not quit abruptly. If the expectant mother did not have enough time for healthy physical activity before pregnancy, then you should think about preparing your body for childbirth and the changes that will take place during the entire period of pregnancy and after childbirth.

In each trimester there is a certain specificity of physical activity associated with periods of pregnancy and individual physiological state. For example, in the first trimester, physical activity according to the Kegel method is recommended, which allows you to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, prepare for childbirth, and avoid tears. If the DOCTOR does not prescribe a limitation of physical activity for the expectant mother, you can safely go for walks, swimming in the pool, special yoga or fitness classes for pregnant women, the program of which takes into account the peculiarities of this period.

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Consult with specialists and a doctor about the types of physical activity, draw up a training plan that you will adjust based on your feelings and body indicators. If bed rest is prescribed by your doctor, learn about various muscle-strengthening techniques that you can do while lying in bed.

By the second trimester, the threat of miscarriage decreases and this period is the best for performing special sets of exercises to prepare a woman's body for childbirth. Classes in the aquatic environment, for example, in the pool, at any period of pregnancy help a woman maintain the overall tone of the body, activate blood circulation, metabolism, involve all major muscle groups and help to successfully counteract possible unwanted complications of pregnancy, which include:

Varicose veins Flat feet Weakness of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles Pain syndromes of various localization

The detrimental consequences of hypodynamia during this period may be the threat of abortion, toxicosis of the first half of pregnancy, weakness of labor and an increase in the duration of labor, and a decrease in milk secretion. Fitness training in the pool can prevent all possible complications before and after childbirth, as well as the negative consequences of increased stress on the woman's body during pregnancy.

Fitness classes in the pool are suitable for all pregnant women from the first days of visiting a doctor and registering them in a antenatal clinic until the moment of delivery. They are also recommended after the birth of the baby. However, at various stages of pregnancy, one should be careful with physical activity, therefore, before starting water activities, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to exclude a threat to pregnancy and the fetus. This is especially true in the first trimester.

Physical education in the pool is recommended for all women with uncomplicated pregnancy, as well as for pregnant women with diseases of the cardiovascular system in the compensation stage.

Classes should begin with small loads, avoiding sudden movements. As a rule, in the pool exercises are performed in groups of 3-4 people. It is good if there are women of approximately the same gestational age and a similar level of physical fitness in the group - this will ensure the maximum effectiveness of the exercises performed. The course may include at least 10-15 lessons, so it is advisable to start them no later than 32-34 weeks. The recommended frequency of visiting the pool is 2-3 times a week, and the duration of classes is 30-45 minutes (up to half an hour in the III trimester).

A set of exercises for pregnant women includes the following exercises:

Dynamic restorative; To strengthen the abdominal muscles, back muscles and lower extremities; Special, aimed at relaxation; Respiratory.

Classes in the water allow you to gently strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and pelvis. Breathing exercises in water stabilize the nervous state, develop the habit of conscious breathing, which is so necessary in labor. Due to the buoyancy of water, training does not load or injure the spine and joints, and there is no pain in the muscles and joints. By the third trimester, it is recommended to reduce the load, giving preference to free swimming.

Fitness in the water during pregnancy is very diverse and multidirectional. The level of load is individual and depends on the current state of health and physical capabilities.