![](https://mayhealthylifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/exercise-for-pregnant-woman.jpg)
To put it simply: when you do the Duck Walk, you really look like a duck! It may look a bit funny, but it is a good exercise for the lower extremities. It helps strengthen and stretch the muscles of the lower legs, says Singh. The duck walk exercise basically provides several benefits for your lower body strength, mobility, and coordination. It mainly targets the quadriceps and buttocks. Performing this exercise regularly can help strengthen these muscle groups, leading to improved leg and butt strength and muscle endurance.
The Duck Walk requires you to maintain a low squat position while moving, which can increase muscle endurance in the quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings. It challenges these muscles to hold and perform in the squatting position to improve walking motion, mobility and flexibility.
Duck walk during pregnancy: safe or not?
Pregnancy and childbirth are very physically demanding. You need a lot of strengthening and stretch in the body. The expert says you can do a duck walk during pregnancy, but it needs to be modified. Duckwalk can help during the third trimester, which is after the 34th week of pregnancy. It’s the time marked by the home stretch, when you’re getting ready for the birth of your baby. As the fetus continues to grow in size and weight, you may become more uncomfortable and gain weight.
As for the adjustment, this is done because your body releases the relaxin hormone during pregnancy. It helps loosen the body and joints to make room for the baby. The duck walk can put pressure on the abdominal area, so it is adjusted during pregnancy. When carrying a baby, it is important to improve the tone and elasticity of the pelvic muscles. This helps to achieve proper positioning of the baby in the pelvis, shorten labor time and reduce the chance of delivery. Duckwalk exercises help do just that with hip opening and also strengthen the thigh muscles, leading to an easier birthing experience.
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Modified duck walk during pregnancy
Follow these steps to do the Duck Walk during pregnancy:
• Get into a kneeling position. You can place a pillow under the knee for support.
• Place one foot on the floor so that your hip opens to 90 degrees and to the side.
• Try to touch your knees down.
• Start with small baby steps forward and diagonally to your body. Make sure your legs are wide and your feet are firmly touching the ground.
• After completing 10 steps, you can rest. Do this exercise as long as you have the strength and endurance to do it.
The expert says that this exercise should ideally be done when your doctor tells you that your baby’s head is stuck in the pelvis. You can increase the number of counts as you start to get stronger. You may experience some muscle soreness the next day of training, but you don’t have to worry about that.
Stop doing duck walking immediately if:
• You feel pain in the vagina, pelvis or groin area.
• You feel stomach pain or menstrual pain.
• You experience shortness of breath.
• There is leakage or bleeding from your vagina.
• There is an injury to your hip and spine.
You can incorporate the Duck Walk into any prenatal exercise of your choice. But before you start this exercise, it is important to consult your doctor.
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