Despite the benefits of exercising during pregnancy, some activities are not recommended during these months due to the risk they may pose for you and your baby. Always check with your doctor before initiating an exercise routine, to know if it is appropriate in your case or not.  

Situations to avoid during exercise

Some exercises require a greater physical effort on your part than others, especially if you aren’t used to doing them. But, in general, there are a series of situations that you should avoid when exercising, because they could harm your pregnancy.  

• Lying on your back for long periods of time. This could impede adequate blood-flow, because the weight of your belly could put pressure on some of the main arteries and veins, making the blood-flow difficult both for you and for your baby.

• Exercises that put excessive pressure on your joints. These are already holding up extra weight and besides, pregnancy hormones have relaxed their usual tension, reason for which you may be more prone to injuries.

• High-impact exercises. Not only can they harm your joints, but also the status of your pregnancy, due to the falls or blows you could receive when practicing them.  

• Overheating. Exercises that may cause you to overheat could lead do dehydration. It is important that you always have water at hand in order to counteract the effects of overheating during exercise.

These are some ideas, but the best way to determine whether you should continue with a particular exercise or not is if you feel bad or dizzy while doing it.

High-impact sports

Some athletes, due to their high level of training and consistency do not have any problem whatsoever when it comes to continuing with their sport of choice during pregnancy. This could be bicycling, skiing, or long-distance running. Their bodies are used to this high performance and falls are not likely due to their skill-level.

However, pregnancy is not the best time to start with a high-impact sport because of the risks it could entail for you. Some of the activities that are not recommended at this time are:  

• High-impact aerobics. Jumping, that can affect your joints, is not a good idea now. Both the extra weight you are carrying and the lack of tension increase the possibilities of falling or having an injury. In the same way, in the last months of pregnancy, when your sense of balance is no longer the same, you should be careful with step aerobics or any other activity that could put you at risk for a fall.  

• Bicycling.  Riding a bicycle does not put weight on your joints, as your own weight is held up by the bicycle. However, if you use ride a real bicycle, you could put yourself at a risk for falls. The best thing is to try with stationary bicycles that will also enable you to start exercising slowly and increase resistance little by little and avoid problems due to losing your balance.  

• Skiing. Both if it is on snow or on water, skiing is not a good idea in this period, due to the likelihood of falling at high speeds, especially if you are not proficient. These are to be avoided especially in the second and third trimester.  

• Running/jogging. Although it may seem like a harmless exercise, if you are not used to practicing it, it’s better to choose other more appropriate exercises, such as walking and swimming. Running places a high impact on your joints and it also puts you at a risk for falls due to the shift in your center of gravity in the last trimester. Walking briskly can also increase your heart-rate without putting you at risk.

In general, stop exercising if you feel dizzy, short of breath or if you are spotting or bleeding.