Tag: Pregnancy

Categories
Aerobics

How to Lift a Carrier Correctly

Life and Carry Carrier (Exercise Classification: Beginner)

Equipment: baby carrier

  • Stand to one side of the carrier and face the baby carrier and baby so the baby is facing towards your back
  • Squat down and put your arm through the handle so that the handle is in line with your elbow
  • Grab the plastic side piece of the handle  and get a firm grip.
  • Stand up by pushing with your legs.
Categories
Aerobics

Abdominal Massage

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Abdominal Massage

Equipment: none

  • Begin laying on your back with your legs resting on 2-3 pillows under the knees.
  • If you are >20 weeks pregnant, put pillows or a wedge under you upper back, shoulders, and head so that you are propped up and not completely flat (~30 degrees).
  • You can perform this technique over clothing or directly on skin.
  • This is sometimes called the “I Love You” massage because you will be tracing the letters “I” “L” and “U” on your belly.
  • “I”- put your left hand flat on the left side of your belly, up near your bottom ribs. Use the palm and heel of your hand to rub from the back to the front and down towards your feet with whatever amount of pressure feels good. You do not need a lot of pressure for this to work.
  • It should take 3-5 strokes to work your way down your left side.
  • Repeat the “I” 5-10 times.
  • “L”- Now move to the upper right side of your belly by your lower ribs. You will use the same technique to massage across the front of your belly just under your ribs and then repeat the “I”.
  • Repeat 5-10 times
  • CAUTION: Do not do this within 30 minutes of eating. The area under your ribs can be very sensitive and uncomfortable as food digests.
  • “U”- Now you will move down to the right lower side of your belly by your right hip bone. You will use a flat hand, palm, and heel of your hand to massage from back to front and up towards your head. When you get the bottom of your rib cage on the right (starting position for the “L”) repeat the “L” and then the “I”
  • Repeat 5-10 times
  • This can be done at anytime during the day but works best at night before going to bed or in the morning just after waking up.
Categories
Exercises

Modified Quadruped Rocking

Quad Rocking Modification (Exercise classification: beginner)

Equipment: table or flat surface

  • Start standing facing a countertop that is at least as high as your belly button.
  • Move your feet apart so they are just as wide or wider than your hips and rest your forearms onto the counter
  • Keep a soft bend in your knees and your back flat
  • While keeping your arms on the counter, rock your bottom back towards the wall behind you “as if there was a string tied to your belt loop and someone was pulling your backwards”.
  • As you rock backwards your elbows should straighten.
  • Sit back until you feel a stretch in your shoulders and back.
  • Then you can either rock forward to your starting position or you can hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds before rocking forward to your starting position.
  • Repeat 5-10 repetitions.
Categories
Exercises

Quadruped Rocking

Quadruped Rocking (Exercise classification: beginner)

Equipment: none

  • Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders, your knees under or wider than your hips and your back flat. (You can do this on a bed or the floor)
  • Keeping your back flat and your hands in contact with the floor, rock your hips back towards your heels.
  • Once you sit back as far as you can comfortably, you can either return to your starting position immediately or you can hold the stretch 5-10 seconds.
  • If you feel pinching in the front of your hips as you rock back, try either bringing your legs a little farther apart or try turning your knees out and bringing your feet towards each other.
  • Repeat 5- 10 repetitions.
Categories
Exercises

Hook Lying Trunk Rotation

Hook Lying Trunk Rotation (Exercise classification: beginner)

Equipment: none

  • Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  • Bring your feet together so the big toes and inside of your heels are touching.
  • After 20 weeks, place pillows behind your head and back so that you are not completely flat (goal:30-45 degree include)
  • Let your arms rest down by your sides OR lay them flat out to your sides in a “T” position with your palms up towards the ceiling
  • Gently let your knees fall to one side until you feel a light stretch or pull.
  • Hold for 2-3 seconds then bring your knees back up to the starting position.
  • Repeat the opposite direction
  • Perform for 5 to 10 repetitions (right + left= 1 repetition)
Categories
Exercises

Hip Swings

Hip Swings (Exercise classification: beginner)

Equipment: wall or countertop

  • Begin standing next to a wall or a countertop with the right side of your body closest to the wall or countertop
  • Place your right hand on the surface for balance
  • Your left hand can go on your hip or your can let your left arm hang comfortably at your side
  • Keeping your knee straight, swing your left leg back and forth in one smooth motion.
  • The movement should come from your hip at a comfortable speed. Keep your trunk still when you do this.
  • Keep height of leg in a comfortable range
  • You can perform on both sides but for constipation you want to make sure to do the left side.
  • Repeat for 10-20 repetitions (forward swing and back swing of the leg = 1 repetition).
Categories
Aerobics Exercises

Heel Lifts Plyo

Dip and Turn (Exercise Classification: Intermediate)

Equipment: none 

-Begin with hands on your hips in a standing position, legs approximately shoulder width apart. 

-Transfer your weight from left to right foot while kicking your heel to your backside every time it leaves the ground.

-Alternate back and forth continuously like jogging in place, but with emphasis on bringing your heel to your backside. 

 

Categories
Aerobics Exercises

Cardio Squat with Hop

Cardio squat with Hop (Exercise Classification: Advanced)

Equipment: none 

-Begin standing legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart. 

-When ready, bend your knees and squat downward, bringing your bottomtowards the ground. 

-Once your legs are parallel to the ground,push up off the ground letting your feet leave the surface allowing jump to occur. 

-When you land, bend your knees, squat again and repeat the process. 

-You may find yourself bringing your arms to your chest on the squat and using them to swing down during the jump for an extra push. 

-Repeat 10 times

Categories
Exercises

Woodchop Low to High

Woodchop Low to High  (Exercise Classification: Intermediate/Advanced)

Equipment: Band, -If you do not have a band, try this with a jump rope, scarf, or even a tied up blanket. 

-Once band is secured, grab ahold of the end with both hands clasped together. Start with the band low and on the right side of your body near your hip. 

-Pull band diagonally upward across your body until you reach the top left side overhead. 

-Do this slow and controlled fighting the resistance of the exercise band. 

-Repeat 10 times

-When finished with one side flip so that you can begin with the band on your lower left side pulling to up your right. 

Categories
Exercises

Woodchop High to Low

Woodchop High to Low (Exercise Classification: Intermediate)

Equipment: Band,-If you do not have a band, try this with a jump rope, scarf, or even a tied up blanket. 

-Once band is secured, grab ahold of the end with both hands clasped together. Start with the band high and on the right side of your body overhead. 

-Pull band diagonally across your body downward until you reach the bottom left side near your hip. 

-Do this slow and controlled fighting the resistance of the exercise band. 

-Repeat 10 times

-When finished with one side flip so that you can begin with the band on your upper left side pulling down to your right.