Prenatal Modified Swimming

A general recommendation during pregnancy is that we don't lie on our bellies or on our front body what we technically call lying prone. So we want to enjoy the benefits of back extension exercises, particularly of the upper back while we're pregnant, and also the support of the lower back or the lumbar spine with the abdominal wall. So we're going to show you a modified version of swimming so that when you're in a class and the class is going into the back extension exercises, you can still enjoy the benefits of the back extension exercises. So on all fours knees directly underneath the hips, rest directly underneath the shoulders. We're going to take the breath in to prepare. With the exhale, you're going to bring one arm and one leg up opposite arm from leg up as high as you can get without losing the integrity of the position of the spine.

And Inhale, drop back in. And with the XL lift the opposite arm and leg ups. You're getting that nicest of diagonal line across the body and inhale and exhale. Reach the inner to the arm and like out and down. Try to suspend it for a moment. Then inhale, let it come back in slowly and the Xcel, the whole while the spine is saying what we call neutral, really nice and steady. The pelvis was remaining relatively steady, minimal rotation to no rotation, and we'll go inhale, exhale up [inaudible] and inhale drawing it back in. And that is our modified version of swimming for pregnancy.