Many women who exercise regularly to stay fit might worry about the safety of jumping during pregnancy. While light exercises during pregnancy are beneficial for blood circulation and muscle growth, doctors advise women to stay away from intense exercises such as jumping ropes or sacks, which may increase the risk of pregnancy complications. Jumping exercises may loosen the ligaments, cause injury, and lead to miscarriage. Therefore, you should exercise caution and follow safety tips to stay healthy during pregnancy. Read about the adverse effects of prenatal jumping exercise and some useful safety tips for a risk-free pregnancy.
Safe Exercises For Pregnant Women
There are some cardio, aerobic and strength training exercises that women can safely perform while expecting. Some of them are:
Swimming Walking Cycling (on a stationary bike) Image: Shutterstock
Light Weight training Low-impact aerobic exercise Prenatal Yoga Light stretching exercises
How Are Light Exercises Beneficial For Pregnant Woman?
There are different types of prenatal exercises like stretching, walking, swimming or yoga. You can go ahead and choose a fitness regimen during your pregnancy that suits you. Here is a list of the benefits of practicing such light exercises during pregnancy:
Regulates weight gain Boosts your mood and energy level Improves the blood circulation Promotes muscle tone, strength, and endurance Helps reduce backaches, constipation, bloating, and swelling Improves the quality of sleep
Harmful Effects Of Jumping During Pregnancy
Is it safe to jump rope while pregnant? Well, there are several harmful health effects of practicing jumping exercises while expecting your baby. Some of them are the following:
Increases The Risk Of Ligament Injury: During the delicate phase of pregnancy, a woman’s body produces and releases the Relaxin hormone. The hormone loosens the ligaments in the pelvic region. As the ligaments soften, they become more prone to injuries. If a pregnant woman takes up a strenuous workout like jumping exercises, she is likely to injure or even fracture her ligaments and joints.
Causes Preterm Labor: The uterus of a pregnant woman grows large during pregnancy and exerts enormous pressure on the cervix. Jumping can cause frictional impact between the uterus and cervix and lead to preterm labor.
Increases The Risk of Miscarriage: During pregnancy, the center of gravity shifts due to the growing baby bump and you are at a greater risk of losing your balance and falling or even suffering a miscarriage.
Causes Vaginal Bleeding: Jumping ropes involves a jarring movement. It could sometimes cause vaginal bleeding and premature contractions in pregnant women.
Tips For Exercising Safely During Pregnancy
You can follow a few safety tips to exercise right and enjoy a healthy pregnancy. There are certain precautionary measures you can take to reduce the risk of accidental injury or miscarriage during pregnancy. Go ahead and check them out!
Wear loose fitting and comfortable clothes, to perform the exercises smoothly. Choose the right kind of exercising shoes, to increase your flexibility and grip. Practice exercises on a flat surface to prevent injury or sudden fall. Drink a lot of water and fluids to prevent dehydration. Seek medical guidance from your health practitioner, before trying new exercises.
