Prenatal Exercises

Richard Dumaguit

Purposes:
 Reduces risk of pregnancy.
 To promote strength and endurance.
 To improve blood circulation.

Materials:
 Yoga mat

STEPS SCORE
RATIONALE

1. PREPARATORY PHASE:
 Assemble equipment & supplies To be organized.
Introduce self and explain the To establish rapport.
procedure
 Hand hygiene Prevents transmission of microorganisms
2. Always ensure good posture To avoid any strains or accidents
during exercise

3. Inform to client to stand with For proper balance.

equal weight in both legs.
4. Instruct the client to tighten her
abdominal and pelvic floor
muscles gently.
5. Instruct the client to gently push
her shoulders back and down.
6. Before Exercise, It is important to
warm up:
Improve circulation, ease backache and make
joints stronger and pregnancy onwards can
stop those accidental weeks
This exercise helps restore
normal shoulder movement, prevents
stiffening of the shoulder joint.
Warm ups prevents any muscle to be tensed
during the exercise.

- Breathing and arm-circling.

Keep the client’s abdominal
and pelvic floor muscles
tightened gently throughout
these exercises.
7. Instruct the client to breathe in Control breathing facilitates relaxation of
deeply and as she breathe out muscles and mind. And it also calms the mind.
raise her arms and spread them
out before returning them to her
sides (Repeat 5 times)
8. Soldier March Exercise Keeping hips level facilitates balance.
March on the spot while keeping
 STEPS SCORE
RATIONALE

her hips level (Repeat 10 times)

9. Quadriceps Stretch To stretch muscles and improves flexibility.
-Stretch the muscle in front of
your thigh
-Hold on to the wall for additional
support
-Hold for 20 counts
-repeat on the other side

10. Harmstring stretch To prevent back injuries, stretching hamstrings

- Stretch the muscle at the back
of your thigh
- Ensure to Keep her abdominal
and pelvic floor muscles
tightened gently
- Hold for 20 counts
- Repeat on the other side
is also necessary. When bent, tight hamstrings
resist the forward tilt of the pelvis, allowing
the lower back to curve further. In a forward
bending position when lifting, the lower back
was not designed to withstand the forces
exerted on it.

11. Calf stretch against the wall To relieve tightness.

- Instruct to stretch her calf
muscle
- Use a wall for additional
support
- Keep the knee of the rear leg
straight
- Keep the heel on the ground
- Hold for 20 counts
- Repeat on the other sides
12. Hip flexor stretch in kneeling As your pregnancy progresses, keeping your
- Get down on one knee slowly legs limber and flexible will help maintain
- Bring the knee on front balance.
forward
- Instruct her to push her hips
forward until she feels a
stretch at the front of her
thigh
- Hold for 20 counts
- Repeat on the other side
After warming up, the client is ready
to do the mat exercises
13. Thoracic Rotation in side lie To release thoracic spinal rotation tightness
- Instruct the client to lower and hip tightness.
herself into a seated position
slowly
 STEPS SCORE
RATIONALE

- Instruct the client to lie on her Improve trunk and hip rotation during back
side using a folded towel to swing and follow through.
support her head
- Gently tighten her abdominal
and pelvic floor muscles
- Keep her hips still throughout
the exercise
- Bring her hand as far back as
she comfortably can
- Tell client to follow her hand
with her eyes.
- Repeat 10 times
- Roll over and repeat on the
other side.

14. Side leg lifts Helps to build up strength in your legs as well

- Place a folded towel on her as engaging your core.
hand so the head is supported
- Use the hand to stabilize the
body
- Keep the leg on top straight.
- Gently tighten the abdominal
and pelvic floor muscles.
- Lift her legs slowly with the
knee facing forwards.
- Repeat 10 times
- Roll over and repeat on the
other side.
15. Forward and backward leg Facilitates pelvic floor to
rotation
- In the same position gently
tighten the abdominal and
pelvic floor muscles.
- Lift the leg off the ground
- Keep her knee straight and
facing forward, draw circles
with your leg
- Repeat 10 times. Then change
direction.
- Roll over and repeat on the
other side.
 STEPS SCORE
RATIONALE

16. Plank Strengthens abdominal wall and pelvic floor

- Prop yourself on the your muscles.
hand and hip
- gently tighten the abdominal
and pelvic floor muscles.
- Lift her hip off the ground.
- Stay on this position for 10
counts while you breathe
normally.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Roll over and repeat on the
other side.

17. Cross-arm twist Facilitate abdominal muscle to work for

- Move into a kneeling position strengthening contractions.
slowly
- Fold her arms in front of her.
- Gently tighten the abdominal
and pelvic floor muscles.
- Keep her hip still
- Turn the upper body to one
side and hold for 3 counts
- Repeat 10 times on each side
18. Cool down- Move into standing Cooling down prevents any muscle aches.

- Gently tighten the abdominal

and pelvic floor muscles.
- Move into standing by getting
into one knee slowly

19. Backward arm Circling It allows joints to be stretched.

- Move her arms backwards in
a circular motion
- Follow her hand with your
eyes.
- Allow her shoulder and hips
to follow the movement
- Keep her abdominal and
pelvic floor muscles gently
tightened throughout
- Repeat 10 times on each side
20. Curling down from standing Gentle tightening of abdominal muscle allows
- Keep her abdominal and to support spine so that the mother could still
 STEPS SCORE
RATIONALE

pelvic floor muscles gently bend with ease.

tightened
- Curl forward, starting from
the head and neck
- Bend her lower back last
- To return to starting position,
straighten the lower back
first, ending with the neck
and head last.
- Repeat 10 times

21. Backward shoulder rolls Shoulder rolls eases shoulder and neck
tensions
- Roll her shoulders backward
10 times
- Stop with shoulders gently
pulled back and down
TOTAL SCORE

INSTRUCTOR : ________________________ SCORE : ____________

DATE : ________________________