Water provides emotional and physical security so pregnant women can get a safe workout and enjoy a feeling of weightlessness. Swimming is a low-impact aerobic exercise with optional exercises for toning trouble areas. Check a health club or gym for water aerobics classes or prenatal workout groups. During winter, community indoor pools are your best bet.
Benefits
When you are immersed in water, it pushes against your skin with hydrostatic pressure, which forces retained fluids to move up through the body and increases uterine blood flow, according to Midwifery Today. Hydrostatic pressure also promotes a healthy blood pressure. Water keeps the pregnant woman from getting overheated during her workout, and provides buoyancy so she can move gracefully in ways her body doesn't allow her to outside the water.
Aerobics
Any movement in water forces your body to push against its opposing force, which burns calories. Aqua aerobics up the effect with continuous movements designed to push your body into its fat-burning zone and burn a maximum of calories, says Parenting Weekly. Warm up by treading water or swimming a few slow laps for five minutes. Then push yourself into high-intensity intervals of jogging underwater for 15 seconds and low-intensity walking for another set. Repeat the routine for three minutes.
Arm Toning
Wear webbed gloves to create stronger resistance for arm exercises, suggests Your Baby Today. Stand in the shallow end, with arms bent at the elbows and palms up on top of the water. Bend your knees into a squat and push your hands straight down through the water to meet your bent thighs. Then stand straight up, pushing yours hand up through the water again.
Upper Body Toning
Stand where the water is between your waist and your chest. Hold a small kick-board or paddle head in front of you, so its width will have to push through the water, suggests Your Baby Today. Walk across the pool, pushing the board in front of you to get the resistance of the water. Try moving the board ahead of you in diagonal lines to tone more muscles on your upper back.
Stair Steps
Use the stairs in the shallow end as a tool to tone your legs and butt. Alternate stepping onto the lowest step underwater with your right and left feet. Try stair stepping sideways and backwards as well to tone a broader range of muscles. Work slowly, concentrating on your resistance as you life your foot through the water, and stop if you feel dizzy.
