Is lying down with your legs up during pregnancy effective?

Olimp Sport Nutrition
2021-01-05
Is lying down with your legs up during pregnancy effective?

During pregnancy, women experience a number of inconveniences from their bodies, which affect their daily functioning. Many abnormalities can make waiting for a birth more difficult, which is why many experts recommend, among other things, lying with your legs up. Is that a good thing? How can this position be helpful for the future mother?

Lying with your legs up during pregnancy really works

Many pregnant women hear from their friends and experts about restricting physical activity and avoiding excessive effort. What is more, the pregnant belly and the huge amount of hormonal changes can effectively demotivate future mothers to exercise regularly. Although the advice is important, in reality the reduced amount of exercise leads to a number of adverse consequences. Why?

 

Apart from typical pain and a sense of joint stiffness, a popular problem is lymph flow impairment and circulatory disorders. It does not take long for pregnant women to start dealing with such ailments as varicose veins, blockages, swellings and swellings. Most of them concern mainly lower limbs, which is why many physiotherapists and gynaecologists recommend young mothers to lie down with their legs up. This is a simple and non-invasive way which can be extremely helpful for the body.

Lying with your legs up during pregnancy - benefits

What is the phenomenon of lying with your legs up during pregnancy? First of all, it is a simple way of restoring the right balance to the body. Here is a list of the 3 most important benefits that can be achieved by taking this position:

  • minimising leg and foot swelling

Smaller or larger circulatory abnormalities lead to swelling, which can cause, among other things, pain and reduced mobility. By lying down with their legs up, pregnant women can help restore the permeability of the vessels and proper lymph circulation.

  • reduction of varicose veins

By lying with your legs up, there is a good chance of minimising the occurrence of varicose veins, i.e. pathological increase in the light of venous vessels, which in a wider perspective may lead to the development of chronic cardiovascular insufficiency.

  • true relaxation

Excessive irritation and mood swings are a relatively common problem for pregnant women. Lying with your legs up makes it much easier to provide your body with better oxygen distribution (by improving lymph and blood flow), relieve excessive muscle tension and regulate your breath.

Lying with your legs up during pregnancy. How to do this?

When lying down on your back, place your lower limbs above body level (e.g. leaning against a door or wall), and place a pillow under the lumbar section of your spine to relieve the load and prevent lordosis from deepening. Daily performance of this simple activity for about 20 minutes will greatly reduce the risk of any inconvenience.