Benefits of Water Exercise During Pregnancy

What kind of exercise should I do while pregnant? Try aqua exercise!

Hi everyone, my name is Alicia, I am the co-founder of The Ripple Club and a mum of 2 under 2 - I know, crazy right!

As a certified pre-and post-natal coach, I often get this question: “Can I exercise when pregnant?”

The answer is unless you are having complications: GO FOR IT! I would even say it is paramount to keep moving during your pregnancy, both for your physical and mental health as well as for baby’s wellbeing.

Your next question probably is, what exercise should I do?

There’s an array of perinatal friendly exercises (and it’s not just yoga!) but I choose water exercise, as you can enjoy moving in the pool all the way until you deliver (which is what I did for both my pregnancies).

The water has been voted the most enjoyable and safest place to exercise while pregnant by gynecologists and mamas to be, so get your maternity swimsuit on and jump in!

In this article I will share a few benefits of exercising in the water, and what you can do to keep exercising during this very special time of your life.

Why is the water voted as best place to exercise when pregnant?

1. You feel weightless

Sounds like every pregnant woman’s dream, but it’s true! You may know that the water is a buoyant environment, which means that it absorbs the weight of the baby and eliminates the impact on your bones and joints!

Goodbye back pain and knee aches, hello to exercising freely in the water!

2. You feel safe

Main considerations while exercising pregnant is to avoid falls, overheating and elevated heart rate. Guess what, falling while exercising in the water is not dangerous (the water will avoid any impact) you keep cool and the water creates compression around your body, helping your heart work more efficiently at a lower rate.

You can exercise worry free in the water!

3. You feel less swollen

Yes that’s right, the water creates a special massage that drains and flushes extra water and toxins out of your body. Aqua aerobics and aqua spinning have been scientifically proven to reduce water retention, cellulite and varicose veins which usually start showing up during pregnancy.

4. You feel good!

Exercise has been proven to improve your mood and reduce stress thanks to all the endorphins released post workout. Being pregnant or post-partum is hard, emotions running high and low so treat yourself to some feel good hormones while exercising!

Now that you are keen on diving in, what can you do in the water while pregnant?

1. Swimming

You don’t need to have a great technique to enjoy swimming, as long as you know how to swim safely, you can do so at your own pace.

Scared of the deep end?

Most pools in Singapore are now 1.2m, if you get too tired, just stand up and take a break. I would avoid backstroke and butterfly, but all other swimming styles are perfectly safe. Enjoy!

2. Aqua aerobics

Aqua aerobics range from equipment free moves you can do in the pool to equipment based aqua aerobics like aqua cycling, aqua boxing and aqua circuit classes. There is an aqua aerobics class style for everyone! The Ripple Club offers equipment based aqua aerobic classes in 6 locations in Singapore that are pre & post-natal friendly.

You’d rather exercise at home? We also have virtual follow-along prenatal workouts, equipment free you can do in your pool. Give it a go, I am sure you’ll get hooked!

3. Pool walking

If you’re not into exercising or if you are quite late in your pregnancy and really tired, pool walking is your best option. Take it at your own pace, stay in the shallow end and feel the resistance of the water while enjoying the support it provides.

If you feel like it, you can even go for a light jog in the water if the pool floor is not too slippery, aqua shoes can help here too.

Before you dip your toes in, a few words of caution:

• Check with your doctor if you are ok to exercise
• Stay hydrated and cover your head to avoid overheating or feeling lightheaded
• Avoid diving in or jumping in, use the stairs or the ladder instead
• Keep good form – slow and controlled movements for the win!

All in all, exercising in water helps with most of disagreements we experience during pregnancy while keeping you fit, happy and ready for delivery and beyond.

Author is Alicia Dedigama, Co-Founder of The Ripple Club. She is a mum to two young children, so she is right in the trenches of motherhood with you. She loves spending time with kids, everything fitness, eating and reading a good book with a nice cup of tea.

When you are ready, take a look at our newest Lovemère Swim collection and let's make a splash with confidence.

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