Antenatal exercise with a physiotherapist in Cambridge
Exercising during pregnancy has huge benefits for you and your baby. Staying fit and active helps your body cope with the changes in your shape and posture, helps maintain a healthy weight and can actually reduce the length of your labour.
Women who don’t have a medical risk and participate in regular, moderate exercise are less likely to experience problems during later pregnancy and will also have a lower risk of postpartum depression.
Your baby also benefits from the increase in blood flow which occurs when you exercise.
Babies born to active mothers have higher Apgar scores – the score given by your midwife to assess your newborn’s health.
Newborns might also have an improved ability to self-soothe and as they get a bit older, can show higher general intelligence and language skills
Exercise during pregnancy reduces pain
Maintaining strong, supportive muscles around your hips, pelvis and lower back will reduce the risk of common pregnancy-related physical issues like pelvic girdle pain and lower back pain.
Also, don’t forget life after pregnancy! The stronger and fitter you are before delivery, the faster you’ll recover are after baby is born.
An appropriate exercise programme, practiced with good technique can also reduce the likelihood of excessive stretch on the natural gap which occurs between your tummy muscles during pregnancy. This means you are less likely to suffer from Diastasis Recti (DRAM) postnatally. Increased levels of DRAM can lead to instability around the pelvis and spine and are shown to be a pre-disposing factor to low back pain.
Strengthening your pelvic floor through prenatal exercise also helps reduce the risk of urinary incontinence both during pregnancy as well as postnatally.
Prenatal exercise with a physiotherapist
If you are medically well, then moderate, controlled exercise is safe for both you and your baby. As physiotherapists we are very experienced at modifying exercises to suit every stage of your pregnancy.
Our antenatal personal training is taught by a very experienced women’s health physiotherapist, Angela Lopes. Angela is a highly qualified Clinical Specialist with a keen interest in helping women stay fit and strong during pregnancy and returning them to fitness after pregnancy, safely and quickly.
