Benefits of swimming during Pregnancy

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Being pregnant does not mean that we are disabled or that we cannot do any physical activity. Although we must indeed be careful and take more precautions than normal, exercising for half an hour while we are pregnant can provide many benefits to our health and that of our baby.

In this sense, one of the exercises that doctors recommend the most is swimming. In the water, pregnant women feel lighter and more relaxed despite the gut and back pressure. As the body weighs less, exercises can be performed with little effort, which would be impossible to carry out of the water. Likewise, the pressure exerted by the water prevents making sudden movements, and therefore we prevent possible trauma.

Benefits of swimming during Pregnancy

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During the nine months of pregnancy, there are many physical activities that you can do as long as they do not involve risks of falls, bumps, or high temperatures. This is why one of the sports that doctors recommend most to pregnant women is swimming . Especially for all the benefits that this activity supposes to pregnant women.

Swimming is the best physical activity to practice during pregnancy

• The water makes you feel lighter and less noticeable the weight you carry while you are pregnant.
• It improves circulation.
• By swimming, you strengthen and tone the muscles, especially those of the arms and legs, which will help you carry the weight.
• Counteract the pressure you can gain on your back due to the progressive growth of your belly
• Strengthens the muscles to avoid the tendency of pregnancy, where the spine and shoulders curve and the pelvis tilts.
• Protect yourself from the heat by being in the water
• The ligations and joints are strengthened to prevent damage.
• You burn calories
• Makes you feel less tired
• Helps you sleep better

All these benefits together make you better carry all the physical and psychological changes that you will have to face during pregnancy. It is important to remember that you have to adapt the physical activity to each stage of pregnancy, so you will not be able to do the same exercise in the first trimester as in the last.

In what style can I swim during pregnancy?

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Back exercises are the most recommended

• Back: This style is the most recommended for pregnant women who only swim once in a while. In the third trimester, it is advisable to do it in a semi-sitting position, with the gut sunk, so that the baby’s weight does not interfere with the mother’s circulation.
• Crawl: If you are used to swimming and did it regularly before you were pregnant, this style is the one that can best work for you since it provides the complete cardiorespiratory benefit. However, it can be the most difficult to perform because coordination is difficult to control and perhaps the most tiring.
• Breaststroke: This style works more specifically, glutes, abductors, and perineum. You have to be careful and pay special attention to the lumbar area’s extensions since if we do it, we notice discomfort or pain it is better to leave it and opt for a dorsal position.

How to swim in each trimester of pregnancy

First trimester

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If you are in the first three months of pregnancy, you can swim for 30 minutes a day. If you do this exercise in the morning, it will help you avoid nausea and give you more energy to cope with the rest of the day.

Second trimester

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At this stage of pregnancy, it is preferable to use a maternity swimsuit to feel more comfortable, even if your belly has grown little. Remember that gaining weight does not mean that you have to stop swimming since thanks to the buoyancy of the water, you can swim on your back without damaging the fetus’ blood circulation.

Third trimester

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In the final stretch of your pregnancy, the style that best suits your condition will be the breaststroke since it will lengthen your chest muscles and shrink those of your back. This will bring you many benefits because these areas of the back are the ones that can be most misaligned during pregnancy. It is also highly recommended to swim with a breathing tube to avoid pressure on the neck that is created by going up and down to get air.

You will also have to be well hydrated both when exercising and afterward. You should also keep in mind that before doing this or any other exercise, you should consult your doctor.

How long can I keep swimming?

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The truth is that in this sense, the experts do not agree. Some think that it is beneficial to swim until the delivery moment since the benefits of water are most needed at the end of pregnancy. However, others recommend abandoning this exercise in the eighth month of gestation since there is a risk of losing the mucus plug during exercise. However, it is recommended that you consult your gynecologist and if you notice any discomfort, abandon it.

Precautions before swimming

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• Shower before diving into the water to avoid sudden changes in temperature.
• Slowly enter the pool, down the stairs, and back to the water carefully to avoid slipping.
• Do not swim in the sea if the water is cold, dirty or the waves are very strong.
• Warm-up and stretch before entering the water.
• Don’t dive.
• Take a shower when you go out and take off your wet swimsuit.