Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy
Push-ups are a basic upper body exercise that is often recommended for everyone and is considered safe.
Exercise and fitness, especially during pregnancy, have received more attention than ever before as they are important for the health of both mother and baby. However, it is important that pregnant women remain cautious and exercise properly, without overexerting themselves.
Dr Neha Bothara, obstetrician and gynecologist at Fortis Vashi Hospital (Navi Mumbai, India) said that although pregnant women can do many exercises, they need to do them correctly and should not start any new exercises that they have not done before pregnancy.
Exercise during pregnancy can help maintain or improve fitness and prevent excessive weight gain.
Notes when doing push-ups during pregnancy
To minimize the risk of injury and reduce pressure on the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, Dr. Neha Bothara suggests practicing push-ups with simple modifications:
Stand up straight, facing the wall.
Place your hands on the wall at shoulder level, slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
Keep your knees comfortably apart.
Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest until your chin touches the wall, keeping your back straight. Then push yourself back up to the starting position.
Mr. Varun Rattan, co-founder of the Body Science Academy in Noida (India), shared that push-ups can be done during the first trimester (the first stage of pregnancy, lasting from week 1 to week 12), especially if you are familiar with this exercise before pregnancy.
“Moving to incline push-ups after your body has adapted can improve the health of mother and baby while still ensuring minimal stress on joints and core muscles during the second and third trimesters,” instructs Varun Rattan.
Although push-ups are a good exercise, you should avoid overdoing it during pregnancy to avoid over-stressing your body. And like any new exercise, start with an easy level and gradually increase as you become proficient.
