Safe Abdominal Exercises During Early Pregnancy
When a you are pregnant, you need to take several precautions when exercising. Your heart rate cannot get up too high, you cannot do any jumping or bouncing exercises such as plyometrics and you cannot lie in what is called the supine position, which means lying on your back. But these precautions only take effect after the first trimester. In early pregnancy, you can still work your abs safely, and there are several exercises that you can do.
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Significance
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During pregnancy, a women has a tendency to put on 25 pounds or more. Most of this weight is seen in the abdomen, which puts a great strain on the lower back. With that in mind, it is important to maintain strong stomach muscles during pregnancy that can keep the back in better shape. Abdominal exercises will also help prevent a separation in the muscles called diastasis recti.
Theories/Speculation
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During early pregnancy, things do not have to change that much when it comes to doing ab exercises. According to Jeanne-Marie Guise, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Oregon Health Services Center, sit-ups and crunches are fine in your first trimester.
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Crunches
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Crunches are a common ab exercise that can be performed early in pregnancy. To perform them, lie on your back, place your feet flat on the ground and bend your knees about 90 degrees. Place your hands on the sides of your head and then crunch up by contracting the abdominal muscles. When you do this, you should be slightly lifting your head and shoulders off the ground.
Pelvic Tilts
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Pelvic tilts are a common and safe exercise done during early and even late pregnancy. They are performed on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and elbows slightly bent. From this position, you contract your abdominal muscles, tuck your glutes under and round your back as you take a big inhale. You then exhale and slowly come back to a neutral position.
Leg Lifts
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Leg lifts are done from a lying position on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Lift your hips slightly and place your hands under the bottom of your tailbone. Lift both legs up off the ground about 4 inches. This is the starting point. Now lift them up in the air until they are about 45 degrees, then lower them back to the starting point.
Side Crunches
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These are done from a side lying position on the floor. Extend your left leg and left arm out and slightly bend them. Place your right leg over top of your left leg with your right hand behind your head. Now lift your right leg up, bend the knee, draw it in toward your body and try to touch your right elbow to it.
Warning
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After the first trimester, abdominal exercises should not be done from the supine position. If this were to occur, then oxygen and blood supply can be cut off to the fetus. No high-impact activity where there is a lot of bouncing or jarring should be done either.
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