4 Reasons Juvo Board is Ideal for Pregnant Mothers

Juvo in Latin means “to assist or attain”. The Juvo Board is the perfect piece of fitness equipment for the pregnant woman  as her body changes and prepares for childbirth. Throughout my own pregnancy, I have consistently used Juvo Board from week to week as my level of fitness intensity has changed. Along the way, Juvo Board allowed me to adapt to the required modifications needed to keep me comfortable, safe and strong.

Why exercise during pregnancy?

Consistent exercise during pregnancy helps the expecting mother prepare for childbirth and, later, return to pre-pregnancy activity levels, which we will be exploring more of in future newsletters and videos.

There are many benefits of exercise during pregnancy and after like:

• reduced incidence of back pain
• boosted energy
• fewer problems with constipation
• increased muscle strength and a superior cardiovascular condition, which can facilitate labor and delivery
• improved endurance, to prepare for the possibility of a longer labor
• improved mood states
• reduced postpartum recovery time

The appropriate mode of exercise for you depends to a great extent on how fit you were before your pregnancy. Always check with your doctor before exercising during pregnancy. If given the green light, and you have not previously exercised before pregnancy, then begin slowly and progress gradually.

How does Juvo Board help?

Let’s take a look at the ways the Juvo Board assists the prenatal user:

1. During pregnancy, the expecting mother should avoid lying on her back after the first trimester due to a possible reduction of the maternal heart rate and a decrease in flow of oxygenated blood to the baby. Juvo Board’s Elevate position is great for allowing mom to continue to exercise while supine since it keeps her head above her heart. It also reduces the pull on her abdominals and helps maintain the natural curves of her spine as she works with gravity.

These factors will help her avoid diastasis recti (separation of her rectus abdominis muscle) and help her maintain a correct postural alignment. The extra weight causes her spine to want to shift into a position of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis (a rounding of the shoulders and upper back with a forward head and a tightening of the low back), causing upper and lower back pain.

2. The Elevate position assists the prenatal user with exercises such as squats and lunges. These exercises help keep the lower body, especially the lumbopelvic region, strong and stable as the hormone relaxin works to increase mobility in the pelvic region to prepare the body for childbirth. Maintaining lumbopelvic strength will help reduce low back pain during pregnancy and keep the lower body strong to aid in birthing positions such as squatting and hands and knees.

3. As the fetus grows, a woman’s center of gravity shifts, affecting coordination and balance. The Elevate position brings the floor to the mom, easing these lower body exercises and keeping the workout lower impact in nature and safer for the affected balance and stability.

4. The Elevate position also allows the client to get easily up and down from the board without having to go all the way to the floor. As pregnancy progresses it is increasingly difficult to get down to and up from the floor. A separation of the rectus abdominsis can also occur if not coming up from the floor properly. The Juvo Board allows for the prenatal user to easily and properly roll onto the left side, place the feet onto the floor and return to a standing position.

For more information and guidelines on exercises during pregnancy visit www.acog.org, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, page “Exercise During Pregnancy”.

For exercises ideas on how you can use the Juvo Board to assist you during your prenatal fitness routine, check out this video!