Don't stop exercising when you're pregnant just because there's a bump in the way. Consistently exercising during your pregnancy can come with a wealth of health benefits like warding off postpartum depression, relieving common discomforts like backache and swelling and boosting the rate of postnatal recovery. While exercising shouldn't be too difficult for most pregnant women, 1 in 35 women may experience intense pelvic pain due to a symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). If you don't want this condition to keep you away from the gym, here are 3 exercises you can try the next time you hit up a fitness club.

Light Walking on a Treadmill

A little bit of cardio will do you a lot of good when you're pregnant; however, those with SPD may have a difficult time using many cardio machines due to the strain that machines place on certain muscles and joints. Don't try fancy cardio machines like the elliptical and stick with a simple treadmill at the fitness club. A treadmill is more ideal, as it allows you to better control the terrain. You can determine the angle of the incline and even add moderate hills if you're feeling up to the challenge.

Squats with Extra Support from a Wall or Hard Surface

The adductor muscles are highly involved and strained for those suffering from SPD. You want to purposely target and stretch out your adductor muscles in order to relieve the intense pressure that has been placed on your pubic bones and joints. The best exercise for this is squats. Do your squats with your back against the wall for added support. Use free weights at the fitness club for better results.

Yoga to Help with Stretching

To relieve discomfort and pain caused by SPD, you'll want to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles in order to put less pressure on the pubic joints. If your fitness club offers yoga lessons and classes, you should definitely consider signing up. Many of the yoga poses will stretch out and strengthen muscles involved with SPD. You can stop whenever you reach a pose that is difficult or uncomfortable.

Conclusion

Don't let SPD prevent you from reaping the benefits obtainable from exercising when pregnant. Find a fitness club that will provide you with a wide array of different exercise equipment and machines and a multitude of different types of classes at different times in order to fit some exercise into your day. Exercising is not only beneficial for you, but also for your baby. Some fitness clubs have specially classes and programs designed specifically for pregnant women. 

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