Incorporating the Stability Ball into prenatal conditioning
effectively engages your core musculature.
According to Sheila Watkins, of Healthy Moms Fitness:
“Clinical observations involving the use of a
stability ball with prenatal clients have shown a low incidence of back pain in
late pregnancy, strong, firm abdominal muscles and increased core
stability.” Simply sitting on the ball improves your posture, making it a
great place to perform strength- training exercises.
Muscles of Motherhood
Strengthening your upper back muscles is a prenatal
priority. After childbirth, you will be in a forward flexed posture for many
hours of the day. Exercises requiring the shoulder blades to pull together
prevent the round-shouldered posture sometimes seen in new moms.
The adductors or inner thigh muscles are important for
expectant moms. When active, they stabilize your knees and your pelvis. Relaxin
causes hyper-flexibility in your adductors, making you prone to injury. Many
popular adductor exercises involve a range of motion that may be unsafe for a
pregnant exerciser. The solution may be found in the medium sized balls sold at
toy stores. Seated on the stability ball, place the smaller ball between your
inner thighs. Inhale to prepare. Exhale and squeeze the ball. Good news! You
can do this while performing most upper body exercises. Be sure to sequence
your exercises so that you work the larger muscles, chest back and shoulders,
prior to working your biceps and triceps.
Many midwives advise women to perform squats during labor.
This apparently opens the pelvis and eases the birth process. While this has
not been scientifically proven, the squat is the best functional lower body
exercise.