Fit Pregnancy » Fit pregnancy: Exercises to avoid while pregnant -

It's very important to exercise during your pregnancy as it can help alleviate back pain, discomfort, increase or boost energy levels, prevent excessive weight gain, assist with insomnia or sleep deprivation, reduce the risks of gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related high blood pressure and postpartum depression. Exercising during pregnancy will also help women prepare for the physical demands of labour by increasing stamina and muscle strength, and it can also reduce the recuperation period after birth.

  

However, before you begin any form of physical activity during pregnancy you should consult with your healthcare practitioner and/or OBGYN. They can determine if you have any contraindicative conditions that may place you or your baby at risk by doing exercise.

Pregnant women should rather check with their healthcare practitioner about exercising during their pregnancy if they:
Have had a premature baby or a threatened miscarriage before
Have low iron levels or suffer from severe anaemia
The baby has been small during the pregnancy
Have high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia
Are overweight or underweight
Have current or past joint or muscle problems
Have current or past heart or lung problems
Expecting twins
Suffer from diabetes.

Exercise is not recommended at all for pregnant women who:
Have gone into premature labour or had a threatened miscarriage during their current pregnancy.
Have a low-lying placenta (placenta praevia) after the 26th week of their pregnancy.
Have cervical incompetence, also known as vaginal weakness
Are pregnant with three or more babies.
Have serious heart or lung disease.
Have persistent vaginal bleeding.

Suggested exercise guidelines
Aside from the guidelines given to you by your healthcare provider, there are a number of exercises that should be avoided at all times during pregnancy and a number of guidelines that everyone should follow. Firstly, pregnant women should not do more than three sessions of vigorous exercise a week in their third trimester. Your doctor will also advise you on your maximal heart rate during exercise.

Pregnant women can generally engage in activities such as walking, swimming, yoga or tai chi classes (supervised classes of course). Pelvic exercises for before, during and after your pregnancy are highly recommended, unless there are complications involved in your pregnancy. For the majority of pregnant women 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise is more than enough. If you haven't exercised in a while though, you should rather start by doing just five minutes a day and as you go along build up to 10 minutes then 15 minutes and eventually you will be able to do 30 minutes of exercise.

Take caution
Always pay attention to your body. If you feel dizzy, h
ave a headache, experience shortness of breath or develop chest or abdominal pain then stop all exercise immediately – these are warning signs. If the problems persist consult your doctor.

During your pregnancy avoid raising your body temperature too high and keep your heart rate below recommended levels when you exercise. Stay clear of hot spas and don't exercise to the point where you sweat excessively. If you do any weight training, rather use lower weights and do medium-to-high repetitions. The trick when it comes to weight training is to not perform any weight training that may alter your breathing, as any irregularities in your breathing could interrupt the flow of oxygen to baby.

There are certain exercises you should avoid completely while you are pregnant. These exercises include any form of contact sport or any exercise where the probability of falling is high. This is due to the fact that, from the second trimester onwards, baby is too big to sit completely protected between your pelvic bones. As such, a fall could be fatal.

• Exercises that require you to lie on your back should be avoided completely after the fourth month of your pregnancy because the baby's weight can slow down the rate at which blood flows back to your heart. If you have always been a runner, you can safely continuing running but try to stick to a running area that is flat and has no obstacles.
• From the fifth month of your pregnancy your body produces a hormone called relaxin, which is responsible for loosening joints in preparation for the growing baby, labour, as well as delivery. Your joints become looser, therefore you are more at risk of spraining or straining something. It is advised that you not do participate in exercises that require excessive, deep stretching or high-impact activities such as aerobics and running as they put a lot of stress on your joints.
• Sit ups and crunches should not be done at all during your pregnancy because you place strain on your rectus abdominis - the outermost muscle that runs from your breast bone to your pubic bone. This is the primary support for your back.
• Forward-hinging at the hips or waist is another movement to avoid because of the increased midsection weight. This makes this particular movement awkward and poses a risk of dizziness or heartburn. Exercises that involves jarring or bouncing motions, a sudden change in direction and leaping, such as horseback riding and skiing in both the snow and water, should not attempted by pregnant women. 

Not feeling it
On days when you don't feel like exercising, rather don't as this may be your body's way of telling you that your energy reserves are running low. Don't become lazy and skip your workout every day just because you don't feel like it though. There is a difference between feeling demotivated and run down. 

Another important tip to remember is to always stretch before and after each workout, but stay clear of exercises and stretches that involve twisting your waist while standing, deep knee bends and touching your toes while standing. These movements stretch your abdomen and could lead to injury. Pregnant women should feel empowered to live an active lifestyle, but certain levels of activity should be avoided. Each woman should know her limits and when in doubt pregnant women should consult with their health care practitioners.