Exercises to Avoid in Pregnancy
It’s advisable to consult your OB-GYN or nurse-midwife about any exercise regime you intend to follow during your pregnancy. If you’re not used to exercise, then pregnancy isn’t the best time to start a demanding routine.
However, all women can benefit from gentle yoga stretches or swimming. Mainly due to the risk of falling or over-exertion, avoid the following:
- Running (if you’re very fit, it may be possible to continue jogging moderate distances but consult your caregiver first).
- Horse riding – because of the possibility of a fall, this activity is best avoided.
- Diving, due to the possibility of a fall and in the case of scuba-diving, the potential for decompression sickness, which may be hazardous to your unborn baby.
- Skiing.
- Cycling.
- Contact sports such as soccer, football, basketball etc.
- Climbing
- Aerobics.
- Ice-skating.
- Roller-blading.
- Skateboarding.
Make sure if you are exercising that you take pains to ensure the safety of the activity. Be careful on slippery surfaces and invest in shoes with a good grip. If you’re walking or jogging outside, take great care on wet surfaces. If you experience dizziness, lightheadedness, pains, headaches, vaginal bleeding or excessive breathlessness, you should stop at once and seek medical advice.
Be aware that you may be clumsier than usual, as your center of gravity has changed. Also, thanks to all those pregnancy hormones your muscles are more flexible and you may be at greater risk of injury than normal.
Why not chat to other moms about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternately, if you want to meet other moms in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section to find out what is happening in your area, or join or start one of our groups. If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other moms or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles. Also, have a look at our Kit section where we list our top-rated baby equipment.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional
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Last Modified: 23/06/2008
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