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Expert Q&A
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| By Sandra Grenier Prenatal Fitness Instructor | ||
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What kind of exercises can you do on bed rest?
I have not had experience prescribing exercises for moms on bed rest. However, I believe that an isometric contraction of each muscle group would help. That means contracting the muscle without going through a range of motion. Simply put, pull the baby in toward the spine while exhaling. Hold for 5-8 seconds while breathing, then relax. One might also try gentle stretches that do not increase pressure on the uterus and cervix.
Elizabeth Noble's book, Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year (New Life Images, 1995) includes a chapter on bed rest. Noble, a physical therapist, recommends:
- 1. Focusing on joint mobility for the neck and head with neck circles and side to side stretches;
2. Side-lying exercises to maintain range of motion in the arms and legs, such as raising the top leg or circling the knee, bending the knees and tilting the pelvis, adduction of the bottom leg;
3. Trunk exercises as simple as sucking in your belly on an exhalation.
I would also recommend talking to your physician about water exercise. A 1990 article in Obstetrics and Gynecology found immersion in water more effective than bed rest in treating edema. Aquatic exercise reduces swelling, increases venous return and lowers blood pressure.
- Other Resources:
- The Bed Rest Survival Guide by Barbara Edelston Peterson and Hallie Beachum
- The High-Risk Pregnancy Sourcebook by Denise M. Chism
- Am I Glowing Yet? : Understanding and Coping With the Common and Not-So-Common Miseries of Pregnancy by Virginia Hege Tobiassen