Prenatal Yoga With An Exercise Ball

Pregnant moms who have an exercise ball at home and want to work on their upper-body flexibility will find the following exercise very helpful. Maintaining flexibility throughout pregnancy can be a challenge, because it is hard to find exercises in which the growing abdomen don't get in the way. With this exercise, women in their second- and third trimesters will feel their muscles stretch, but in a comfortable way. Adventurous moms can even add light dumbbells to work their arm muscles — they'll need it when they're carrying a newborn around all day long!

While the upper body should never be neglected during pregnancy, it is hard to deny that a lot of the focus is on the pelvic area. This video shows another opportunity to use the exercise ball that most pregnant women benefit from purchasing. The exercise works on pelvic flexibility through gentle stretching. It can soothe pelvic pain in the last few weeks of pregnancy, and is also a great way to work through a contraction in early labor. The swaying movement is very comforting to women who are just beginning to experience contractions.

The final exercise we will be looking at today is a pelvic exercise using sideways movements instead of circular, swaying movements. Note that the expectant mother's legs are shoulder-width apart, which benefits the hips and prepares the woman's body for a position similar to the one she is likely to end up giving birth in. This position, like the previous one, is also great for another thing — lower back pain. Many pregnant women struggle with lower back discomfort in the final weeks of pregnancy, and some women will have what is commonly referred to as “back labor”, where contractions seem to radiate into the lower back rather than around the abdomen.

So, do you really need an exercise ball to perform these work-outs? It is possible to use a chair or pillow instead. The videos in this article do an excellent job of showing how the exercise ball supports the pregnant woman's whole lower body, however. By performing the exercise on a chair or pillow, a mom will definitely lose out. Exercise balls are a small investment that most women will get a lot of use and enjoyment out of.

There are numerous prenatal yoga exercises that use the exercise ball, many of which can also be found right here on SteadyHealth. In addition to yoga, you'll find that exercise balls make great “desk chairs” that help pregnant women with posture while they are working. They are also essential for pilates, which is magnificent for weight loss after pregnancy.

Which is your favorite exercise?