In Pregnant in Stuttgart

Aqua fit course for pregnant women in Stuttgart

aqua fit for pregnant women Stuttgart

A little while ago I’ve promised to write more about pregnancy in Stuttgart – due to my personal situation 🙂 (If you don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, check out this article first). And here we go: In this post I would like to share my experiences with the aqua fit course for pregnant women at Marienhospital.

Due to a long period of morning sickness in the first few months of my pregnancy I wasn’t able to do much – and sport was the last activity I was thinking about. Thank god these days are over! I started to feel better around week 19 and wanted to get active again. I have to say I felt really worn out and without any strength. And as I know that it’s a huge benefit to be fit when you’re giving birth, I checked the internet for fitness courses especially designed for pregnant women in Stuttgart.

At first I only found yoga classes. Don’t get me wrong, I like yoga and I know that it is not just lying around on a mat and can also be quite strenuous. But I didn’t feel like doing yoga at that point. Then I visited the website of Marienhospital Stuttgart and found what I was looking for: an aqua fit class for expecting mothers! Yeah!

I’ve always loved being in water (in German we have a term for this: Wasserratte, which translates to water rat 🙂 That’s exactly what I am :-)). So I instantly knew that I wanted to try out this course.

Aqua fit course for pregnant women at Marienhospital Stuttgart

The aqua fit course for pregnant women takes place every Monday from 5:45 to 6:45 pm in the swimming pool of Marienhospital. One thing I really liked right away: You don’t have to enroll, you just show up! I love being flexible and like this I have the opportunity to visit the class when I feel like it but when I don’t have time, I don’t lose money.

aqua fit for pregnant women at Marienhospital Stuttgart
Don’t get fooled by this picture. The pool is full during the course.

I’ve visited the course five or six times by now and what can I say, I really like it! Getting active in warm water gives me new energy, even on days when I don’t feel like doing any sport at all.

What happens at a regular aqua fit course for pregnant women at Marienhospital?

The first 15 minutes are like a warm up. Everybody swims for themselves in order to adjust to the water and the exercise. Then the class starts. We usually use pool noodles for some exercises which is nice as they support you and lift you up in the water – and they make great workout tools when you try to push them under water 🙂 The trainer leads through the workout and we perform various tasks. Some are easy, some make your heartbeat rise – but not too much, the trainers really know what they are doing! The course always ends with some relaxation exercises which are my favorite part of course 😉

Benefits of an aqua fit course for pregnant women

As I said, I really enjoy this course and can recommend it to any pregnant woman who feels comfortable in water and wants to get or stay fit and energetic. Marienhospital states on their website some more reasons, why visiting an aqua fit course while pregnant bears advantages:

  • it increases your overall physical capacity
  • it stimulates blood circulation
  • the water pressure helps to prevent varicose veins and thrombosis
  • the natural upwelling relieves your joints and fibers
  • it can help to sooth backpain

Good to know

aqua fit for pregnant women Stuttgart
This is me with Claudia, one of the two trainers/midwifes who are running the course.
  • The swimming pool of Marienhospital is located in a building right behind the main building of the hospital (Eierstr. 55, 70199 Stuttgart).
  • There are two trainers who rotate every week: Claudia and Katrin. Both are also midwifes and thus know everything about pregnancies and what is good for expecting moms. I always feel like I’m in very good hands.
  • The trainers teach the course in German but they are also able to speak English. Make sure you talk to them before the class starts so they know that you don’t understand (much) German and that they thus need to translate the exercises for you.
  • You always pay cash right at the beginning. One class costs 10 Euro.
  • You might want to bring your own blow dryer as there is only one (!) for everybody.

If you are a pregnant “water rat” too, we might see each other at one of the classes 🙂

I am still researching for more fun activities for pregnant women in Stuttgart. What are your experiences? Can you recommend a course? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

More information:

Aqua fitness course for pregnant women on the website of Marienhospital

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mellivinginstuttgart

Hello and welcome to "living in Stuttgart". I am Mel and I love this beautiful city. There are so many things to explore, I can't wait sharing them with you. So come along and let me show you Stuttgart the way I see it.

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3 Comments

  1. MSP
    5 years ago

    Nice article with good info! 🙂
    I’d like to know if the course is only for pregnant women who are good swimmers? Or are beginners or novices allowed too? Interested to know as I too am a Wasserratte

    Reply
    1. Mellivinginstuttgart
      5 years ago

      Hi there, I think you should have decent swimming skills as the exercises will be performed in the deep section of the pool. But you can contact the trainers directly and ask them. Their telephone numbers can be found on the website of Marienhospital.

      Reply
  2. Pregnancy update - 8 months pregnant in Stuttgart - Living in Stuttgart
    5 years ago

    […] I’ve enrolled in some courses in order to be prepared for the big day. You might have read my post about the aqua fit course for expecting moms at Marienhospital already (if not, you can find it here). […]

    Reply

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