Worst Exercises for Pregnant Women

How many times have pregnant women been told the best exercises and workouts to use during pregnancy? Many exercises are considered safe for fetus and mom and a few considered unsafe can be altered to match pregnancy concerns. There are, however, a few exercises women should avoid while pregnant at all cost. Here are five of the worst exercises for pregnant women.

5. Falling

Exercises like horseback riding and skiing are considered two of the worst during pregnancy. Horseback riding places control of pregnancy health on the hooves of a horse. At any time, horses can be spooked by other animals or people and rear up throwing mom into the air.

Skiing, both water and snow, are fast moving sports that also take control out of mom's hands. Even walking on snow and ice are considered a threat and should only be done if absolutely necessary.

4. Contact

Contact sports of all kinds are prohibited during pregnancy. There are two main types of contact sports falling into the worst exercises for pregnant women - full contact and limited content. Full contact involves necessary contact between two people for the sport to be performed. Such exercises include karate, kickboxing, and traditional boxing. Limited contact means only a portion of the sport involves contact with others. These sports include football, basketball, boxing, softball, baseball and hockey. Soccer, running and squash are also limited contact sports.

3. Pressure

Swimming is perfectly safe during most pregnancies, but scuba diving is not. Pressure under the water grows exponentially with every passing foot. Deeper waters can produce enough pressure to significantly harm the fetus and possibly cause spontaneous abortion.

2. Heated

Any exercise performed outside when temperatures are high is considered one of the worst exercises for pregnant women. High internal body temperatures can cause fetal birth defects and / or harm to the fetus. When temperatures rise, pregnant moms should choose to exercise indoors. Some gyms offer free or discounted memberships for pregnant women.

1. Biking

There is a lot of debate over mountain biking during pregnancy. Some doctors will okay their patients to mountain bike and others will suggest a stationary bike in place of outdoor trails. Mothers chime in on the discussion all the time and many believe it depends on the skill of the rider. If riding trails with steep inclines and even steeper descents is part of every day life, mountain biking may be a viable exercise option, but the risks are far greater than other forms of pregnancy approved exercise.

As is the case with any form of exercise, mom needs to feel her way through and make educated choices. Contact exercises tend to be one of the worst of the worst exercise for pregnant women, because contact can come from any angle at any time. The best choice is to choose exercises with two feet on the ground, a steady pace and no one (or thing) racing at you from any side.