10 Physical Activities To Be Avoided During Pregnancy

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Written by Editorial Team

Editorial Team

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting..

dangerous activities to avoid during pregnancy
Everyone talks about things you should do when you are pregnant. From eating well to being careful and doing things that make your pregnancy a smooth ride. But what are the things that you should not do? Well, here is a list of 10 physical activities to be avoided during pregnancy.

Unless your doctor has specifically asked you to take bed rest during pregnancy, you do not have to confine yourself to bed. In fact, it is highly recommended you do not. You can go for walks, do low-impact exercises, and so on. The idea is simple – you do not engage yourself in any activity that increases the chances of strain in your tummy region or puts you at risk of falling and hurting yourself and the baby.

10 Physical Activities To Be Avoided During Pregnancy

Ideally, as your pregnancy progresses, any activity that increases your risk of falling or causing injury/trauma to your abdomen. The below activities may do just that, and hence should definitely be avoided during pregnancy.

1. Heavyweight Training

heavy weight training

You would have seen pictures on social media of a nine-month pregnant lady lifting heavyweight in the gym. But unless you have been weight training (that too with heavy weights) for years, do not attempt to start it when you are pregnant

2. Lying On the Tummy

lying on tummy

Any exercise or workout that requires you to lie on your tummy should be avoided. For starters, when you have a bulging tummy, this is a very uncomfortable position. Secondly, even a small injury to your abdomen can have significant consequences to your pregnancy

3. Sauna

sauna

Although the sauna is not really a physical activity, we thought we should include it here because it normally is linked to your gym. There is a high chance of infections being spread to you, along with chances of your child having birth defects

4. Certain Rides in an Amusement Park

rides in amusement park

We think this goes without saying. Most rides in the amusement park have a sudden start or sudden stop, both of which cause the entire body to jerk. And yes, definitely no-no to roller coaster rides!

5. Certain Kinds of Yoga

extreme stretching yoga

Prenatal yoga is wonderful and we recommend it unless your doctor has asked you not to do it. But certain other kinds of yoga asanas, especially the ones where your body is against gravity or the ones that require extreme stretching, should be avoided. It is best to go to a seasoned practitioner if you are interested to do yoga during your pregnancy

6. Running

running

Unless you are a running pro, avoid running and jogging during your pregnancy. There is a very high risk of losing balance and falling down. If you are a runner, please check with your doctor about the amount of strain you are allowed to take

7. High Impact Exercises

high impact exercise

Much like weightlifting, many women who have been engaged in high-impact aerobics exercises swear by it, even during pregnancy. If you are new to this, do not do it. If you have been engaged in it for a long time, then be very careful especially when you do jump, hop so that you do not lose balance

Read [Top 5 Exercises During Pregnancy]

8. Cycling

cycling

If you do cycling regularly, you can continue to do so until your 4th or 5th month of pregnancy. Post this, your tummy starts becoming huge, and this shifts your body’s center of gravity. This can lead to loss of balance and potential falls. If you are new to cycling, then by all means avoid it during your complete pregnancy

9. Contact Sports

foot ball

If you are a sportsperson playing contact sports like football, hockey, or basketball, it might be best to give it a rest during your pregnancy. While playing as such might not affect you, the fact that there is a high risk of falling down, crashing into another player, or getting hit by the ball or the hockey stick, makes these activities risky during pregnancy

10. Gymnastics

Gymnastics

When you are pregnant, the spread of your body weight changes. So even if you are trained in gymnastics, there is a high risk of falling. Some of the moves might also involve somersaulting, which can also increase the pressure on the abdomen region

Other than these activities, horse riding, scuba diving, water-skiing, surfing, and downhill skiing are also best avoided as they can increase your risk of falling and chances of trauma to your abdomen. All this does not mean that you have to sit or sleep throughout the day and not move around, as if you are a sick person. However, keep the above list in mind. Always be cautious. Weigh the pros and cons before doing anything during pregnancy.

Here is wishing you a happy and safe pregnancy.

Also Read: Exercises During Pregnancy For A Normal And Natural Delivery

Editorial Team,

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.

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