2 Swimming Exercises You Can Do To Stay Fit During Your Third Trimester

Trying to stay physically fit while you are pregnant becomes more challenging each day as the baby continues to grow in your belly. By the third trimester, everyday activities such as walking to the store or around the block can become seemingly impossible to do. Engaging in an exercising program is often last thing on your mind. However, you do have the option of getting into a swimming pool to perform exercises to stay in shape. Here are 2 swimming exercises you can do once you enter the third trimester of your pregnancy that will help you stay in shape while keeping your baby safe.

Breaststroke

The breaststroke helps you to work out your chest and back muscles. The chest and back muscles handle a lot of the physical pressure of carrying a baby and adjusting to your body's changes. The muscles can become misaligned and get sore and tired.

The breaststroke involves twisting your body while bringing one arm up and over your head at a time, and then pulling the arm back through the resistance of the water to repeat the process. This action not only strengthens the chest and back muscles, but also it stretches them out as well to increase blood flow and maintain their flexibility.

The breaststroke involves turning your face to get your mouth above water so you can breathe while swimming. If turning your head that far bothers you physically, use a snorkel to breathe while keeping your face down in the water.

Walking

Walking on land can be tortuous once you've hit your third trimester, but walking in water is a completely different experience. The buoyancy of the water keeps most of the weight off of your legs when you walk around in a pool. However, the resistance in the water will workout your muscles and cardiovascular system while you walk around.

If walking around in the pool still bothers your feet and legs a lot, you can use an inflatable noodle to give you extra buoyancy. Put the noodle under one arm, bend it around your back, and slip it under your other arm. The noodle will allow you to move into deeper water while you continue to do a walking motion against the resistance of the water.

Exercising in a swimming pool can be effective and fun. However, before you start any type of exercising program, you should consult with your doctor first to make sure you don't end up hurting yourself or your unborn baby. For pregnancy counseling, click on the link or do an online search.