HEALTH
It’s the Eye of the Tiger!
You’ve been pregnant for
a few months and you’re
starting to feel like Rocky
after he’s gone a few rounds
in the ring. We speak to
Jacqueline Lee from Pilates
Inc. about the benefits
of regular exercise for a
pregnant mother as well as
the different exercises she
can do to keep in fighting-fit
shape during the pregnancy
and after giving birth.
Your feet are bloated, there is a constant ache in your
lower back and you keep feeling out of breath. The last
thing on your mind is to subject yourself to even more
physical exertion as you feel that you’re already getting
enough exercise carrying this baby in your womb.
Well, banish that thought!
Keeping fit during pregnancy helps you to improve your
stamina and strength for labour, and might even shorten
WIDE SQUATS
Wide squats are great for strengthening
the pelvic floor muscles, which support
the bowel, bladder, womb and vagina.
During pregnancy, these muscles can
be overly strained due to the constant
weight bearing on them, which might
cause stress incontinence (leaking of
urine when you sneeze or cough). This
can be prevented by regular exercise of
the muscles.
What to
do
1. Put
your feet
slightly more
than shoulderwidth apart with
your toes pointing 45
degrees outwards
2. Put your hands
on your hips and
squat downwards,
making sure that
BRIDGE
The bridge is a very popular exercise
that helps to strengthen the gluteus,
hamstrings and core, which are all
the important muscles that you’ll use
regularly when you’re pregnant.
Keeping
fit during
pregnancy
helps you to
improve your
stamina and
strength for
labour.
18
Family & Life • Feb 2014
A key thing to remember when
doing the bridge is not to lie in a
supine position, as it restricts the
flow of oxygen to the baby in the
womb because you’re compressing
the big blood vessel at your back.
Instead, use a wedge (pictured). If a
wedge is not available, Jacqueline
recommends using pillows!
the time you’re in labour. Also, regular exercise helps you
get back into shape after delivery.
So, what are some suitable exercises that a pregnant
working mother can incorporate into her daily life?
Jacqueline Lee, fitness enthusiast, mother of two (and
soon three), and director of Pilates Inc., part of The
Moving Body Group, demonstrates five exercises that
are suitable for mothers, no matter what trimester
they’re in.
your back remains straight and
your knees don’t go past your toes
3. Once the top of your thighs are
parallel to the floor, stop and hold
for two seconds before coming
back up again
4. Complete eight repetitions
5. For breathing, exhale when you’re
going down and inhale when
you’re heading up
What not to do
Remember that you’re not
bowing down and working
your core, as Jacqueline
demonstrates (pictured on
left), but rather working
your leg and pelvic floor
muscles. Doing this might
actually hinder the blood
and oxygen supply to the
baby in your womb, so
be careful!
force on your cruciate ligaments
(pictured left). Although your body’s
natural biomechanical movement does
allow your knees to go past your toes
(contrary to popular belief that your
knees shouldn’t go past your toes when
squatting), there will be more weight
exerted on your joints now that you’re
carrying a newborn, so it’s best not to if
your body is not conditioned.
Performing a squat
with your knees past
your toes exerts more
What to do
1. Place your hands flat at the side, with
your tailbone and buttocks on the
wedge or pillow
2. Beginning from your tailbone, focus
on slowly moving your body off the