Exercises and yoga poses during pregnancy

Always start with a breathing exercise. Close your eyes and breath in through nose and breath out through mouth continue for 3-5 mins

Diaphragmatic breathing

1. Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed.
2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.
3. As you breathe in and out feel your hand over the diaphragm move out and in.

Cat and camel

• Begin on your hands and knees, knees under hips, hands under shoulders
• Round your back up toward the ceiling, drop your head slightly, tuck in your buttocks
• Come back to a neutral position
• Let your belly lower toward the floor creating an arch in your back
• Keep your head up slightly, with your eyes looking straight ahead
• Alternate between poses.

Make it easier: For painful knees, fold a towel or blanket under the knees. For painful wrists, place fists instead of palms on the floor.

Butterfly pose

• Keep the spinal cord and neck straight
• Breathe natural and easy
• Bend both the knees
• Bring the soles of the feet together and place them up to the crotch area
• Grasp firmly both the paws with your hands
• Do not allow the heel to be raised
• Keep the torso above waist including the neck straight
• Place the elbows on the thighs
• Inhale deep and press both the thighs downward with the elbows effortlessly
• Remove your hands from thighs and try to raise the knees without any support; exhale Breath

Kegel's Exercises

It is done to tone up pelvic floor muscle. It can be done in any position sitting, standing, and lying whichever position you are comfortable. Contract your pelvic floor muscles as you would to stop urine flow for 5 seconds and then relax the muscles for 3 seconds. This muscle fatigues quickly so only do five to ten repetitions at a time. Do not hold breath anytime, breathe normally while doing this. Repeat the set of 10 at least twice a day.

Goddess pose

• Start in Mountain Pose at the front of your mat. Step your right foot a stride length towards the back of your mat. Turn your toes out and your heels in, so your feet land on a 45 degree angle
• Bend your knees deeply out the sides and sink your hips down to the height of your knees
• Bring your arms out at shoulder height and bend your elbows so that your fingertips point skyward. Spread your fingertips wide apart from one another and activate the muscles across your back to hold your arms here
• Engage your core muscles and draw your tailbone in the direction of the floor. Do not hunch forward with your shoulders; keep your spine long and your muscles engaged
• Stay here for 30 seconds to one minute, then step forward to Mountain Pose

Warrior Pose

Stand with your feet about three feet apart your right foot in front of the left. Hold your arms out to the side with your palms down and arms extended and straight. Turn your right foot out to the side and your left foot in. Lunge forward gently, bending your right knee as you keep your left leg straight. Hold the pose as your legs stretch. Return to the original position then switch legs.

Side stretch

• Sit on the floor with one leg bend and other stretched.
• One of the arm extend over the head stretching the side
• Come back to original position and repeat other side .

Walking

Walking is a great pregnancy workout. It is low impact so it doesn't jar your knees or ankles. It is a moderate intensity exercise and will help keep your blood sugar stable. It is also probably the easiest exercise to do because it requires no equipment besides some good tennis shoes and you can do it anywhere, you can walk for 30-45minutes per day, but remember only walking is not sufficient.