7 Benefits Of Swimming While Pregnant

Swimming when you are pregnant is a recommended type of exercise thanks to the water’s ability to support the body’s extra weight.

This feature allows women to make movements that they would not otherwise be able to do on land. The resistance of the water prevents you from making sudden movements, which in turn reduces the risk of injury.

Water also helps to reduce the pressure of the stomach. At the same time, a lighter swimming session improves the muscle strength in the legs, pelvis and buttocks, all of which are important during childbirth.

Swimming stimulates circulation. The horizontal position that you have during many movements in the water prevents varicose veins, swelling and muscle cramps while improving lung capacity, which in turn prevents you from getting tired quickly.

Before you start swimming while pregnant, consult your doctor

Although many other people swim when they are pregnant, you should preferably consult your doctor before starting any swimming classes. Your doctor will assess your physical condition, your family history and your pregnancy. All of this will help determine the activities that you can perform safely in the water.

There are some things that your midwife should also evaluate before you start swimming. This is because this type of exercise, even if it is good and fulfilling, is not recommended for women who have a high-risk pregnancy or who are threatened with premature birth. It is also not a good activity for women who have placenta praevia or slow uterine growth, vascular problems or cervical elongation.

In addition, during pregnancy, according to the specialists of the Fundación Española del Corazón, it is by no means the ideal time to learn to swim or resume physical activity after a long period of a sedentary life. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor or midwife before you start swimming.

It is also important that you do not completely take yourself out during physical activity and that you instead try to move your body in a calm and relaxed way.

Swimming when you are pregnant is relaxing

If you have your doctor’s blessing, swimming can be a good type of exercise during pregnancy. You will see that it has other benefits as well.

One such benefit of swimming is that it helps you relax your entire body, especially areas that are overloaded by your baby’s weight. This is because the water helps to redistribute the weight and allows the joints to rest.

Swimming also improves the cardiovascular system as well as general health. It also reduces circulatory edema, and can help you improve your body’s flexibility and gain more physical endurance without overloading the body.

This physical activity also helps you to improve your emotional state. It reduces stress and nervous tension. Being in the water also helps you get to know your body and the changes that occur in it. In addition, classes, which can be up to an hour long, can promote social relationships and help you prepare for birth.

As you can see, there are many benefits to swimming, although doctors do not necessarily agree on the best way to do it.

Some specialists believe that swimming can be beneficial until delivery. The water helps to improve the symptoms that get worse during the last months of pregnancy. Symptoms caused by poor blood circulation, back pain due to the large stomach, etc.

But other doctors recommend that you stop swimming in the eighth month of pregnancy. It is always best to consult your doctor who knows you best and follow the instructions she gives you.