It is good for any pregnant woman to exercise regularly and keep her body muscles in good shape. There is no reason why, if she chooses, she cannot indulge in some form of sports activity. The important thing is to protect the health of the mother and the child she is carrying.
There are many factors to be considered to ensure the safety of the child, and the mother must think carefully about the negative aspects of the sporting activity. What happens in the even of suffering a fall which results in injury? The treatment of such an injury may include having a x-ray when the radiation and any associated medicines may be harmful to the unborn child.
Obviously there are a number of sports which could not be considered and any sport which carried the risk of sustaining an injury to the abdomen would be ruled out, which would immediately eliminate most types of field sports (hockey, netball etc). Other sports which would be ruled out would include gymnastics, horseback riding, and hang gliding because of the risk of body trauma caused by a fall.
There are some sports however which can be participated in if a few adjustments are made to accommodate the pregnancy –
- Aerobics. Do not do any form of these exercises lying on the stomach, and after the second three months of the pregnancy do not lie on the back for extended periods. Do not become involved in energetic bouncing up and down movements and excessive stretching. Gentle aerobics can be beneficial ih care is taken, and exercises in the water are ideal.
- Cycling. If taken slowly this can be another form of exercise or sporting activity for any pregnant lady. A small scrambler type of bike is ideal since it has large cushioned tires and good shock absorbers. Cycling in the usual manner will involver change of body position and adjustments will have to made to the body balance, so this kind of sport is far better carried out in the first three months of the pregnancy. A stationary exercise bike may be more suitable later on.
- Tennis, Badminton. These racket type sports are fine during the early stage of the pregnancy, but should be carried out in a more relaxed, gentle manner as the pregnancy progresses
- Swimming. This is probably the best type of sport for a pregnant person to participate in, especially during the last three months of the pregnancy. The buoyancy of the water benefits all of the body joints and the whole body (bump included!) can float on the water in a totally relaxed state. For obvious reasons diving or leaping in the water are not recommended, and swimming should be avoided if there is any sign of a vaginal discharge.