antenatal-postnatal exercises content with the help of google and Wikipedia

2. ANTENATAL EXERCISES:
Being pregnant doesn’t mean stopping exercises. On the contrary,
exercises do wonders during pregnancy. It helps to prepa. for
childbirth by strengthening your muscles and building endurance.
Moreover, it helps getting your body back in shape, once the baby
is born. Of course, not every form of sport or exercise is safe to
do, but many forms are. Most women will benefit, as long as they
are not advised against exercise (e.g. due to medical condition) by
the doctor).

3. Benefits of antenatal exercises:
Regular exercises can be beneficial as it helps you to
relax and makes you feel better. The main benefits
include:
1. Improved circulation for mother and baby.
2. Reduction in aches and pains of pregnancy e.g.
backache, cramps etc.
3. Improved stamina, giving you more energy to cope with
growing demands of pregnancy.
4. Improved posture and body awareness.
5. More controlled weight gain.
6. Improved sleeping patterns.
7. Reduction in minor ailments of pregnancy such as:
stiffness, tension, constipation, sleeplessness.
8. Increased circulation minimizing varicose veins and
swelling.
9. Enhanced psychological wellbeing.
10. A beneficial effect on the course and outcome of labor.

4. Some points to keep in mind before starting with exercises:
1. If you have always been active, you can probably continue your exercise
regime while you’re pregnant, providing your pregnancy isn’t considered
high risk.
2. Check with your doctor to make sure the activities you participate in are right
for you. Also, if you’ve never been an athlete, your doctor can give you
some helpful tips for getting started.
3. Wear loose fitting, breathable clothing and supportive shoes: avoid
overheating your body while you are exercising. Just layer your clothes so that
they are easy to remove or wear outfits specially designed for exercise. You’ll
also need athletic shoes that fit your feet properly. If your shoe size has
changed because of mild swelling, buy a new comfortable pair.
4. Warm up before exercising: always warm up your muscles and joints to
prepare your body for exercise. If you skip the warm up and jump into strenuous
activity before your body is ready, you could strain your ligaments and can hurt
yourself.

5. 5. Keep moving: standing motionless for long stretches can
decrease blood flow to the uterus and blood pools in your legs,
making you feel dizzy. So keep moving- change positions or walk
in place.
6. Avoid overdoing it: don’t “go for the burn” and don’t exercise
to the exhaustion. A good rule of thumb is to slow down if you
can’t comfortably carry on the conversation.
7. If you feel uncomfortable or have pain, stop immediately:
listen to your body. When something hurts, something’s wrong, so
stop. You should feel like you are working your body, not
punishing it.
8. Drink lots of water before, during, and after exercising: if
you don’t drink plenty of fluids, you can get dehydrated. Try
drinking two glasses of water two hours before you begin
exercising.
Some points to keep in mind before starting with
exercises

6. 9. Get up from the floor slowly and carefully: your centre of
gravity shifts during pregnancy. That’s why you should take great
care when you shift positions. Getting up quickly can make you
dizzy, and cause you to loose your footing and fall.
10. Avoid outdoor activities when it’s hot and humid: take it
easy when it’s too hot. On particular hot and humid days, give
your workout a miss or exercise indoor in a well ventilated room.
11. Cool down: walk in place for few minutes or stretch. It gives
your heart a chance to return gradually to its normal rate.

7. Recommended exercises during pregnancy

8. Recommended exercises during pregnancy:
The following exercises are fairly safe for expectant mothers,
although some of them may not work for you during the last few
months of your pregnancy. To be safe, consult your doctor before
embarking on any of these activities.
1. ` Walking: it is one of the best exercises for the pregnant women.
Walking keeps you fit without jarring your knees and ankles. It is safe
through out the nine months and can be built into your day to day schedule.
2. Jogging / running: going for the jog is the quickest and most efficient
way to work your heart and your body. You can tailor it to your schedule-running
15 minutes one day when that’s all you can fit in then 30 minutes the next when
you have time.
3. Swimming: fitness experts hail swimming as the best and the safest
exercise for the pregnant women. It is ideal because it exercises both large
muscle groups (arms and legs), provides good cardiovascular benefits, and
allows pregnant women to feel weightless despite the extra weight of
pregnancy

9. Walking
Swimming
Yoga and stretches

10. 4. Yoga and stretches: they can help maintaining muscle
tone and keep you flexible with little if any impact on your joints.
Be careful not to overdo the stretching. Don’t hold the stretches
for too long or try to develop your flexibility too much.
5. Pilates: Pilates are the form of exercises which combines
flexibility and strength training with body awareness, breathing
and relaxation. The exercises are based on certain movement
pattern performed with your tummy and pelvic floor muscles-
known in Pilates as “stable core” or base.

11. Try the following exercises to see how your core stability is:
• Sit down on your hands and knees then level your back so that it
is roughly flat.
• Breathe in and then as you breathe out, perform a pelvic floor
exercise and at the same time pull your belly button in and up. Try
to hold this contraction for 10 seconds without holding your breath
and without moving your back. Relax the muscle in the end of the
exercise.
• If you can easily perform this exercise a lot, then your pelvic floor
and the lower abdominal muscles are working well. This exercise
is safe at all stages of pregnancy.

12. 6. Pelvic floor exercise: the pelvic floor muscles forms the base
of the pelvis. When strong and working properly they play an
important role in helping prevent stress incontinence, (so when we
laugh, cough, sneeze or lift something up no urine or stool
accidentally escapes), and in preventing prolapse, (where the
uterus slips down into the vagina).
Exercising your pelvic floor muscles during the pregnancy is
beneficial when you’re giving birth, as toned muscles will be
easier to relax and control .

13. Exercises to avoid:
Not everything is ideal for pregnancy and you are
advised to avoid several forms of exercises, including
the following:
• Diving
• Water skiing
• Gymnastics
• Netball
• Hockey
• Horse riding
• Cycling
• Rock climbing
• Scuba diving etc.

15. Benefits of exercise
Reduces the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease,
diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer.
Reduces high blood pressure or the risk of developing high
blood pressure, high cholesterol or the risk of developing high
cholesterol.
Reduces body weight or body fat, depression and anxiety,
improves psychological well-being and sleep quality.
Builds and maintains healthy muscles, bones, and joints.

16. When beginning exercise it is important to consider the following:
Wear loose supportive clothing and strong supportive footwear;
shorts, t-shirt and a sturdy sports bra are ideal.
Environment: Exercise in a stable environment i.e. a gym or park,
not on uneven ground. Avoid exercising in the middle of the day
when the sun is at its hottest.
Nutrition: Do not exercise on a full stomach; eat a small meal two
to three hours prior to exercise. Hydrate adequately – ensure you
drink one to two glasses of water half an hour before exercise and
several glasses afterwards.
Low impact exercise is preferable for the first six months after
having a baby.

17. Principles of exercise
Frequency – the Health Department and National Heart
Foundation currently recommend exercising on most if not all days
of the week. As you commence your exercise program, start with
one to two days a week and gradually build up to most days of the
week.
Intensity – Aim to achieve three to five sessions of light to
moderate exercise – this equates to feeling slightly breathless, but
still able to hold a conversation. When you feel you are coping well
with light to moderate exercise add in one to two sessions of
moderate to vigorous activity
Duration – Current guidelines recommend 30 minutes of exercise
per day to maintain good health.

18. Exercise program
Warm up – Commence with five minutes of gentle exercise, such as
slow walking, gentle arm circles and knee lifts. You can do any gentle
movement that is similar to the activity to be performed. This is very
important to prepare your body for exercise and help prevent
injuries.
Stretches – Next, perform all of the following stretches. Hold each
stretch for a minimum of 10-15 seconds, breathing slowly through
your nose, aiming to exhale out through your mouth as you ease into
the stretch.

19. Triceps
Front roll (upper back/shoulder
Neck I Neck 2
Hamstrings
Front of thigh (quadriceps

20. Slow roll (keep knees slighty bent as you roll up and down)
Calf (gastrocnemius Lower calf (soleus)
Inner thigh (adductors
Gluteals

21. Side bend Trunk rotation

22. Pelvic floor muscle exercises
The pelvic floor muscles have four main functions:
support of the pelvic organs (the bladder, uterus and bowel)
control of the bladder and bowel
improve vaginal tone to help with sexual enjoyment
support the back by working with the abdominal muscles.
To keep these muscles working well, make pelvic floor exercises part of your daily routine.
See the “Physiotheraphy After Childbirth” booklet for more details.
1. Sit and lean slightly forward with a straight back.
2. Squeeze and lift the muscles as if you are trying to stop wind and urine.
3. Hold the squeeze for up to five seconds, relax for up to ten seconds.
4. Repeat up to ten times, three to four times a day.
5. Keep breathing while exercising.

23. Cardiovascular fitness
Choose something you find relaxing and enjoyable. You can attend a class, such as
yoga, fitball, dance, aquarobics or perform your own exercise such as cycling,
swimming or walking. Aim to exercise for at least 20 minutes.
REMINDER: During all exercises remember to brace your spine by drawing in your
lower abdominals and lift and squeeze the pelvic floor.
Strength
Listed is a set of exercises that are designed to improve strength.
Aim to do 10 repetitions of each exercise (1 set). As you improve, progress to 2-3 sets.
Squats
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Both feet should be facing straight forward.
Squeeze and lift you pelvic floor muscles and draw in your lower abdominal muscles.
Keeping you back straight, bend your knees as if lowering into a chair.
Bend as far as comfortable.
Slowly rise up into an upright position.

25. Core stability
Aim to do 10 repetitions of each exercise (1 set). Progress to 2-3 sets.
Bridging
Laying on a supportive mat or towel, both knees bent and feet flat. Take a deep breath in
and as your exhale, curl your pelvis up to flatten the small of your back into the ground.
Slowly lift your tailbone up off the ground.
Use your bottom muscles to lift your hips into the air.
Take a deep breath in at the top and hold.
Breathe out and slowly lower your spine back into the ground one vertebrae at a time. At
the bottom let your pelvis relax down and create a small space between your lower back
and the ground.

26. Four point kneeling
Single leg slides
Plank
Side plank

27. Anterior Deltoid
Rotator Cuff

28. Deltoid
Biceps

29. Latissimus Dorsi
Pectorals
Triceps

30. A study by Jane Svensson in his study on effective antenatal education;
strategies recommended be expectant and new parents. The 251 women
participated age from 24 to 37 year. Finds a good results to improve the
education about pregnancy.
Augustin conde in his study on antenatal magnesium sulfate for the prevention
of cerebral palsy in preterm infants <34 weeks’ gestation: a systemic review and
meta-analysis. In this the three study evaluate the magnesium sulfate as an
infant neuroprotective agent,
Rob stephenson studied on community influences on antenatal and delivery
care in bangladesh canclude that the antenatal care is diffent in the different
areas and different populations.

31. Love
nature