7 Benefits of Swimming While Pregnant

Swimming while pregnant is a highly recommended practice thanks to the water’s ability to cushion the full weight of the body. This property allows women to do movements they otherwise couldn’t do out of the water. That same pressure prevents you from making sudden movements, which in turn greatly reduces the risk of injury.

Water also contributes to the reduction of belly weight and pressure. At the same time, a gentle swimming session improves the muscle tone of the legs, pelvis and buttocks, which are vital during labor.

Swimming stimulates the circulatory system. The horizontal position of many movements in the water prevents varicose veins, swelling and muscle cramps while improving lung capacity, which in turn prevents you from getting fatigued quickly.

Before you begin swimming while pregnant, see your doctor

Even though many other people swim while pregnant, ideally you should consult your doctor before signing up for swimming classes. Your doctor will assess your physical condition, your family history and the conditions of your pregnancy. All of this will help determine the activities you can safely do in the water.

There are a few things your gynecologist will also evaluate before you start swimming, because this exercise, although noble and fulfilling, is contraindicated for women who have a high-risk pregnancy or who are threatened with a premature birth. It is also not a beneficial activity for women who have placenta previa or delayed uterine growth, vascular problems or cervical dilation.

In addition, pregnancy, according to the specialists at the Spanish Heart Foundation, is under no circumstance the ideal time to learn how to swim or to resume physical activity after long periods of a sedentary life. Hence the importance of having a physical before starting swimming lessons.

It is also important that you do not exhaust yourself during physical activity and that you instead seek to move your body in a gentle and relaxed way.

Swimming while pregnant is relaxing

If you have your doctor’s blessing, swimming can be a great exercise during pregnancy, and you’ll find it has other benefits as well.

For example, one such benefit of swimming is that it helps you to relax your entire body, especially areas that are overloaded by the baby’s weight, because it helps to redistribute the weight and to release the joints.

Swimming also improves the cardiovascular system as well as overall health. It also decreases circulatory edema, and can help you improve your body’s flexibility and gain more physical stamina without exhausting your body.

This physical activity also helps you to improve your emotional state, reducing stress and nervous tension. Being in the water also helps you know your body and the changes that are occurring in it. In addition, lessons, which can be an hour long, promote social relationships and helps you prepare for childbirth.

As you can see, there are many benefits of swimming, even if doctors can’t necessarily agree on the best way to do it.

Some specialists indicate that swimming can be beneficial until the time of delivery. The water helps to improve the symptoms that become acute during the last months of pregnancy, such as those caused by poor blood circulation, back pain due to the weight of the belly, etc.

However, other doctors recommend quitting swimming classes in the eight month of pregnancy. It’s always best to consult your doctor and follow the instructions she gives you.