Final answer:
Reasons for pregnant and postpartum women to do 30 kegels every day include strengthening pelvic floor muscles, supporting the growing uterus, and reducing incontinence risk.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reasons for pregnant and postpartum women to do 30 kegels every day are primarily to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises are a kind of anaerobic activity focused on improving muscle strength, particularly in the pelvic floor region. This strengthening is important as it helps pregnant women support their growing uterus, reduces the risk of incontinence by working as sphincters for the urethra, rectum, and vagina, and can potentially ease the childbirth process by improving control over these muscles.
These exercises do not significantly improve cardiovascular fitness, enhance flexibility, or boost endurance in the aerobic sense. While general aerobic exercises like walking and cycling improve cardiovascular health and muscular endurance, and flexibility exercises like stretching improve joint range of motion, kegels are specific to improving the function and strength of the pelvic floor muscles which is vital during and after pregnancy.