1. ANTENATAL EXERCISES

2. Introduction
• Exercise during child bearing year is not harmful to either mother or
baby.
• Antenatal exercise can relief back pain, improving muscle strength and
flexibility and improve energy level.
• The aim of exercising in pregnancy should to maintain the woman's level
o fitness

3. Definition
• Exercise involves the physical and mental ability to participate in carry
out the better functions of the body throughout the pregnancy

4. Aim
Antenatal exercise aim to prevent low back pain and
enhancing physical and psychological preparation for
delivery by mean of joint stretching and muscle
strengthening.

5. Purposes
• Improve posture and correct body mechanics
• Upper and lower extremities strengthening
• Improve circulatory compromise
• Control of pelvic floor musculature
• Maintain abdominal muscle function
• Improve relaxation

6. Benefits of antenatal exercises
• It improve the circulation of
mother and child
• It helps reduces pain during
pregnancy like cramp and back
ache
• It help to control weight gain
• It reduces stiffness in muscles
swelling and pain

7. Types of antenatal exercises
1. Breathing Exercises
2. Abdominal Tightening
3. Pelvic tilting or Rocking
4. Pelvic floor Exercises
• Kegel’s Exercises
• Tailor Sitting
• The Squatting posture
5. Foot &Leg Exercises
Ankle rotation
Calf stretching
6. Others
Rib cage lifting
Shoulder circling
Walking
Jogging
Yoga

9. 1. Breathing exercises
• Breathing exercise use to pain relief during labour.
Steps
• Sit comfortably with eyes closed.
• ‘Listen in’ your breathing ,concentrating especially the outward breath,
recognizing the short pause before the inward breath naturally follows.
• A few deeper breaths now and again will help the venous return and
aid the oxygen supply to both the pregnant women and her baby but
only 3 (or) 4 breaths at a time as hyperventilation is more likely during
pregnancy.

10. 2. Abdominal tightening
Purpose
It will help to prevent back ache in the future.
Steps
• Sit comfortably or kneel on all fours. Breathe in and out.
• Pull in the lower part of part of the abdomen below the umbilicus whilst continuing to
breathe normally.
• Hold for up to 10 seconds
• Repeat up to times.

11. • 3. Pelic tilting or rocking
• In a half- lying, well supported with pillows, knees bent and feet
flat.
• Place one hand under the small of the back and other on top of the
abdomen.
• Tighten the abdominals and buttocks, and press the small of the
back down onto the underneath hand .Breath normally, hold for up
to 10 seconds and then relax.
• Repeat up to 10 times.

12. Purpose:
• It plays important part in good future.
• It helps to maintain the tone of the muscles to retain their functions.
They will also relax during parturition and regain their former strength
quickly during the puerperium.

13. 4.Pelvic foor exercises
• Kegel’s Exercises
• Steps
• Sit, Stand or half –lie with legs slightly apart.
• Close and draw up around the back passage as through preventing a
bowel action.
• Purpose
• Stretch the pelvic floor muscles for birth

14. a. Tailor Sitting
• The beginner should remain in this position for about 5 minutes at a
time, gradually increasing to intervals of 15 mts to 30 mts .
• Since this position significantly decreases the circulation to the legs
and feet ,the women should “shake out her legs every few minutes
and then return to the position.
• Purpose
• Stretch the pelvic floor muscles for birth and to strengthen the thigh
muscles

15. b. The Squatting posture
• It is the preferred method of lifting( or) reaching for low objects
during pregnancy in squatting position
• Purpose
• Stretch the pelvic floor muscles for birth.

16. • 5. Foot and leg exercises
• a. Ankle rotation
• Sit on chair with your back against seatback.
• Start with one ankle and turn foot upward and
downward for 10 times.
• Repeat the same at the other ankle.
• Repeat the ankle to draw inward and outward circle
• Repeat the same at the other ankle.
• It help to reduce leg swelling and varicose vein

17. • b. Calf stretching
• a.Stand with your feet slightly apart and your
hands on the back of chair (or) some other
objects that offers secure support.
• b.Slide the foot of the cramped legs as for as
possible, without letting the head leave the
floor.
• c.Bend the knees of the other leg. Return to
first position and relax performs several
times.
• • These exercises should be performed
before getting up from resting, last thing at
night and several times during the day.

18. 6. Others
a. Ribcage lifting
• Instruct the women to inhale while extending the right arm with elbow slightly flexed above
her hand.
• With arm extended ,she should then exhale ,extending then exhale, extending the arm
further as she feels the muscles of her right side stretch. She should stretch inhale again,
return to the starting position, and repeat the exercise with left arm.
• Initially the exercises can be repeated 5 times with each arm and gradually increased to ten
times
Purpose
• Ribcage lifting to relieve shortness of breath

19. b. Shoulder circling
• In this exercise she should inhale as the shoulders are rotated and
exhale as the circle is completed and the shoulders have return to
the starting position.
• The exercises can be repeated 10 times, relaxing between each
rotation.
Purpose:
• Shoulder circling helps to strengthen the muscles of the upper
back and can be used to relieve upper back ache.

20. • c. Walking
• Walking is a good cardiovascular exercise and one of the best exercise for pregnant
women
• d. Jogging
• Jogging is best exercise to work body and heart
• f. Yoga
• Yoga help to maintain muscle tone and make body flexible

21. 7.Birthing ball exercises during pregnancy
• Importance
• Sitting on a birthing ball is also great exercise. It can strengthen your
stomach and back muscles, improve your posture, and prepare
• body for delivery.
• Sitting in an upright position can also change your baby from a
posterior position to an anterior position, which may also relieve back
pain.

22. Birthing ball safety tips
• Ball should be firm but have a little give, so can gently bounce or
roll back and forth while sitting.
• When it comes to ball size, go by according to height.