Top 5 Pregnancy Exercises While Lying Down

Most of the time, doctors recommend that you don’t exercise when you’re pregnant to keep from hurting yourself or your baby, but it can be tough to lie down all day long when your body still craves activity.

Luckily, there are some exercises you can do while lying down to keep your body feeling strong and active even though you can’t get up and move around as much as you used to be able to.

Here, I will share five pregnancy exercises while lying down to help you understand better.

What Happens If You Lay in Bed All Day While Pregnant?

When most women hear that they need to stay in bed, their minds immediately jump to thoughts of isolation and boredom.

After all, those are two things we’re programmed to try to avoid when possible. In reality, though, staying active during your pregnancy is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy process, both for you and your baby.

Resting too much or lying on your back can cause harm to you and your baby.

According to PeaceHealth, the most significant risk for pregnant women on prolonged bed rest are blood clots in the leg or lungs and weak muscles. So if you have to lie down for any reason, it’s best to keep moving and stretching as much as possible.

That way, you don’t waste away while lying down. And who knows? Maybe these exercises below will make it easier for you to get through labor!

5 Pregnancy Exercises You Can Do While Lying Down

It is essential to stay active during pregnancy. Women who exercise during pregnancy tend to feel better and have less complicated labor than those who do not move around.

However, some women can’t get out of bed due to medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, a caesarean section scheduled or feeling uncomfortable moving around.

In these cases, there are exercises you can perform while lying down in bed that you can do without inconveniencing yourself too much.

1) The Plank

Plank is one best pregnancy exercises while lying down for pregnant women are encouraged to do. In addition, a plank is an excellent workout for your abdominal muscles.

You need to lie on your stomach and lift yourself into a push-up position by placing your weight on your toes and forearms.

The basic plank involves holding yourself in a straight line without bending or sagging at any of these joints, so it’s excellent for strengthening your core and back.

Keep going until you’re exhausted, which should take about 30 seconds to 1 minute. When you can hold yourself in a plank for 60 seconds, move on to more advanced variations like side planks.

2) Pelvic Tilt

A pelvic tilt is a gentle way to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, even lying down.

It improves posture and supports a healthy back during pregnancy. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands resting under your lower back for support.

Tilt your pelvis so that your lower back is slightly off the floor. Hold for up to five seconds, then relax. Repeat 20 times in sets of five throughout each day.

3) Ribcage breathing

To perform ribcage breathing: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale deeply through your nose while pushing out your stomach, making it protrude.

Now exhale through squeezed lips as you pull in your belly button and make a tight fist with one hand. Repeat ten times, twice daily, for two weeks to feel an improvement in breathing muscles.

4) Leg Lowering

Leg lowering is one of the excellent pregnancy exercises while lying down. The exercise is designed to strengthen your back and stomach muscles.

Lie on your back, with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms resting at your sides. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lower one leg toward the floor until you feel a gentle stretch in your hips or lower back. Hold for 5 seconds and then slowly raise it again. Repeat ten times before switching legs.

5) Kegel

Pelvic floor muscles are essential for pregnant women. Kegel exercises help strengthen these muscles and give your body more control during labor and delivery.

To perform a kegel, tighten your pelvic floor muscles as if you’re trying to hold in urine—then relax. Repeat for 10 to 20 repetitions, three times a day.

When you start doing them, try tightening your muscles for five seconds and relaxing for five seconds; over time, work up to holding them longer.

Frequently Asked Question – Pregnancy Exercises While Lying Down

What is The Best Way to Lie Down When Pregnant?

There are several positions for women to lie down during pregnancy. However, the most comfortable place for many women is lying on their side and supporting themselves with a pillow under their head.

You can then either keep both legs bent or straighten one leg out in front of you. Again, experiment with different postures to find what feels most comfortable.

A combination of several positions may also work well as long as you change position every 30 minutes or so. For example, if lying on your back is uncomfortable, try lying sideways with a pillow between your knees to prevent them from dropping open.

If lying on your stomach makes you feel nauseous, try placing pillows under your abdomen and lower back. If it still doesn’t feel right, talk to your doctor about trying an alternative position, such as sitting upright in bed or leaning over a chair while resting some weight.

Pregnant Exercise for Easy Delivery

The best exercise you can do while pregnant is kegel exercise. Kegel exercises aim to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and reduce stress incontinence in women.

These exercises are also perfect for easy delivery since they help keep your pelvis strong during birth.

Kegels are simple: tighten your pelvic floor muscles as if you were trying to stop yourself from urinating. Then hold that contraction for 10 seconds before relaxing.

Repeat these five times a day or as often as possible, but try not to overdo it too much so that you don’t tire yourself out too much.

Early Pregnancy Exercises at Home

You can do early pregnancy exercises at home or in your bedroom. They are easy to do and don’t involve a lot of activity. It gives you extra time to relax during those first weeks of pregnancy while waiting for your doctor’s approval to begin more vigorous exercise and fitness routines.

The following activities are safe, healthy ways to get your body moving early on: Kegels, Walking, water aerobics, Yoga, Pilates etc.,

Some women experience morning sickness in their first trimester of pregnancy. If you feel nauseous frequently, try some simple breathing techniques that can help relieve nausea and calm an upset stomach.

Conclusion on Pregnancy Exercises While Lying Down

You can do many pregnancy exercises while lying down; however, we have listed about five pregnancy exercises while lying down to start with within this article.

Go ahead and pick any of these exercises and start your pregnancy exercise routine, even in the first trimester.

Happy Exercising!!

Reference

Bed Rest in Pregnancy | Health Information (https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hw32904).