Exercising during pregnancy provides a number of benefits for both the mother (shorter labour) and the baby. What should also be highlighted is that for many mothers keeping active makes them happier, less anxious and helps them feel more in tune with their growing body.
Squatting during pregnancy is important to strengthen your legs to support your growing weight as well as stretching out your hips and lower back. Move with your breath and increase or decrease your reps as necessary.
Benefits of adding squats to your exercise routine:
- Increased pelvic floor muscle strength – Squats will help to prepare the pelvic floor muscles for birth even better than kegel exercises.- Prevents lower back and pelvic pain – Strong gluteal muscles help to stabilise your pelvis by supporting your sacroiliac joint. This prevents pain which is often caused by ligaments loosening due to the pregnancy hormones relaxin and progesterone.- Prepare you for labour – Squats can help you prepare for labour and birth. The exercises mirror positions you can hold to help you cope with contractions in early and late labour. They can also help the baby to descend deeper down into the pelvis.- Stronger birth positions- Strengthening leg muscles during pregnancy by performing a variety of squats giving you more endurance in your birthing positions. This will allow gravity to assist with making the pelvic opening wider which gives baby a bit more room to push through!
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