Being pregnant is not a reason for you to quit or not exercise at all. You are actually strongly advised to be diligent in exercising during pregnancy to maintain a healthy body and support the fetus's health. Even though you feel uncomfortable and often experience morning sickness, you have to keep exercising to feel fit and fresh during pregnancy. Exercise will also help you manage your weight gain and be better prepared for labor. Exercise during pregnancy is essential to do as long as you don't exercise excessively. You can also consult with your gynecologist before doing the sport of your choice.

So, what are the safe exercise options for pregnant women?

Yoga is an exercise that is easy to learn and can be done at home. During pregnancy, yoga can help you build balance, keep your muscles flexible, body strength, and help with breathing rhythm, which will be very useful for the labor. Although it is safe to do so, you must also pay attention to the yoga movements you choose when pregnant. You are not advised to do movements that rotate the stomach, rely on the head or Bikram, which are very dangerous for your womb. However, you can focus on prenatal yoga, a multifaceted approach to exercise that encourages stretching, mental centering, and focused breathing. During pregnancy, you can do yoga 3 times a week with a duration of 15 minutes each time.

The next safe exercise to do when you are pregnant is Pilates. Pilates can help you deal with two of the main problems that often occur in pregnancy, like lower back pain and tail pain. Pilates can help you balance your body and repair muscles with a series of movements using pilates tools that are also good for pregnancy.

Usually, pilates is not done alone, but you will be accompanied by an instructor who will teach you about the movements. Even though it is safe and allowed, you still have to avoid pilates movements that endanger your womb. Currently, there are many pilates studios available specifically for pregnant women. During the pregnancy, you only need to do Pilates 1 time a week.

Walking casually can be an easy exercise for pregnant women who are lazy to exercise. Besides being easy and free of charge, walking casually also has many good benefits for pregnant women. For instance, maintain heart health of pregnant women and tighten muscles to increase the physical ability of pregnant women to carry the baby in the womb. Moreover, walking casually can reduce the risk of miscarriage, congenital disabilities, obesity, and even gestational diabetes. These benefits include avoiding gestational diabetes, making labor induction easier, and managing body weight during pregnancy. Try taking a leisurely walk for 15 to 20 minutes in the morning so you can also breathe in the fresh morning air. Walking leisurely in the morning during this time can also help you avoid morning sickness during pregnancy.

Jogging is an inexpensive and easy exercise. Research says that jogging is safe for pregnant women because the amniotic fluid in the womb is strong enough to protect the baby from shaking or beating.

Jogging can increase the strength of your legs and upper body. Apart from that, jogging can also increase the stamina you need during pregnancy. If you are not used to jogging, advise to warm-up before jogging, 5-10 minutes with stretching and walking slowly, then continue with jogging for 5 minutes, and end with cooling for 5-10 minutes. If you are getting used to it, you can increase the duration to 15 or 20 minutes. But make sure you consult with your obstetrician to make sure that your pregnancy is safe enough to do this exercise.

Swimming is a safe exercise for pregnant women. Swimming allows your body to move freely in the water and minimizes the risk of falling and injuring the fetus. Swimming can help you stretch the stiff muscles caused by hormones during pregnancy. Besides that, soaking in the swimming pool can also relax the body, making the body feel more comfortable and calm. You can do this exercise 3 times a week with a duration of 20 minutes. Don't forget to warm up before swimming to avoid your legs will cramp later. Don't forget to stop swimming if your feet feel tired, and your breath starts to become short.

Static bike or spinning is an exercise that is safe to do during pregnancy. Exercise using Static bikes includes a low-impact that uses subtle movements to strengthen bones and joints without putting a lot of stress on the bones and joints, especially during pregnancy.

This exercise is also relatively safe for those of you who rarely exercise before becoming pregnant. Cycles using a static bike can help raise the heart rate and support the body's weight of pregnant women. It can also help relieve the pain in your joints and back and has minimal risk of falling. It is because using a static bike does not put your weight on the legs and joints.

Kegel is pelvic floor exercises to help strengthen the muscles that support the uterus, bladder, and intestines. In addition, Kegel is also commonly done to help strengthen the vaginal muscles. Pregnant women who routinely do Kegel as an exercise generally have more flexible pelvic muscles, where this condition can help facilitate the labor process. Tightening the pelvic muscles will also help minimize the risk of two common problems during pregnancy, such as decreased bladder control and hemorrhoids.

Furthermore, Kegel is also good to do after giving birth because it benefits from accelerating the healing of the perineum, improving bladder control, and strengthening the pelvic floor muscles.