Please find details of your sport here, to help you decide how (or if) to continue during pregnancy.

If you would like to share your experience of sport and pregnancy with other parents please email contributions@forparentsbyparents.co.uk. We would love to hear from you if your sport is not yet covered, or if you can bring your personal experience to the site.

Your Sport

It is possible to continue playing many types of sport during pregnancy. However, you should avoid any sport that is physically extreme. Check with your doctor or midwife first, if you are not sure.

You should always stop immediately and consult your doctor or midwife if you ever:

• start to feel unwell
• experience pain
• feel dizzy
• experience bleeding

During pregnancy it's normal to sweat more than usual. To replace this, it's important to drink a lot of water before, during and after any kind of exercise or sporting activity.

As well as exercise, you also need more rest during pregnancy. Try to lie down and relax and once or twice a day.

Aerobics

Low impact aerobics are preferable. If you are attending antenatal or parentcraft classes, you may be told about gentle aerobic and stretching exercises which will be beneficial for you throughout pregnancy. If you were doing aerobic classes before you became pregnant, you should inform your class instructor that you are pregnant. Your exercise routine may be modified accordingly. Stop when your body tells you to.

Badminton

"I don’t think I’d be able to run around a badminton court when 8 months pregnant!". This from Joanne Goode, Olympic bronze medal winner. At a less competitive level earlier in pregnancy, badminton can be a good form of exercise especially if you are already fit. It can be strenuous, so doubles may be preferable, ideally with a partner who is unlikely to crash into you or strike you with his raquet!

Basketball

Boxing

Contact sports such as boxing are not advised during pregnancy. This because of possible injury to you or your baby when receiving a blow, or falling.

Cycling

Cycling is okay in moderation but remember that later in pregnancy, your sense of balance becomes unreliable and you must be careful not to fall off! Choose a flat surface, sensible pace and known cycle. Stop if you begin to feel uncomfortable. Cycling is a useful option for mothers-to-be who have trouble walking during pregnancy. You should consult your doctor or midwife if you have problems with pelvic joint discomfort.

Dancing

Smooth forms of dance are okay. Take care not to use jerky movements, fall due to impaired balance or tire yourself excessively. Dancing can be a very enjoyable form of exercise.

Diving

If you were diving before you became pregnant, you can continue diving from a height of 3 feet or less. It can be dangerous to dive any higher when pregnant. Probably a good sport not to start when pregnant. See also Scuba Diving.

Fishing

Absolutely safe (unless you are a fish). You may experience backache through waiting, waiting, waiting...

Football

Contact sports such as football are not advised during pregnancy. This because of possible injury to you or your baby if you collide with another player.

Gliding

Winch launches are not recommended during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant, or may be pregnant, should remain below 5,000 ft. The foetus is vulnerable to relative hypoxia, especially in the presence of other disease, such as anaemia. Morning sickness, reinforced by airsickness, can be difficult for some individuals, and those badly afflicted may find that they have to avoid flying in early pregnancy. Although of major concern to commercial flight crews, cosmic radiation is not a danger at the lower levels. There are usually no problems in the second trimester, but during the third trimester it is recommended that gliding be restricted to dual flying, with a careful check of full control movements before every flight.

Gymnastics

The risk of falling is too great for this to be recommended during pregnancy.

Hockey

Contact sports such as Hockey are not advised during pregnancy. This because of possible injury to you or your baby if you collide with another player, are hit with a stick or ball, or fall. Especially from 2nd trimester onwards.

Horse riding

Your balance may be impaired during pregnancy - so the risk of falling is higher. Falling from the height of a horse would be very dangerous when pregnant, so only continue in pregnancy if you are a professional or an real expert in horse riding - and modify your riding to lower the risk of falling. A dangerous sport during pregnancy, if extreme care is not taken.

Jogging

If you have never jogged before, it may not be a good idea to start jogging now pregnant. Have realistic goals. Take a slow pace and see if you can benefit from fast walking instead. Experienced joggers may need to change their programme when pregnant. Watch for any signs of exhaustion.

Judo

Contact sports such as Judo are not advised during pregnancy, especially from the 2nd trimester. This because of possible injury to you or your baby if you receive a rapid blow or if you fall.

Mountain Biking

Potentially risky sports such as Mountain Biking are not advised during pregnancy, especially from the 2nd trimester. This because of possible injury to you or your baby if you receive a rapid blow from a blunt object, as may happen if you fall. Remember your balance may be impaired. Cycling may be a good alternative at this time.

Mountaineering

The risk of falls make this unadvisable.

Netball

This sport can put stress on the joints, cause jerky and sudden movements and increase the risk of losing balance, especially in the last three months. Gentle practice would be okay.

Pilates

Pilates is now recognised as one of the best exercise programmes for the pregnant body.

Rock Climbing

The risk of falls make this unadvisable.

Rowing

You can continue to indulge in it if you were an expert rower before you became pregnant, taking extra care of your back. Pregnancy is not the time for beginners to learn rowing as rowing and rowing machines can be extremely harmful to the lower back in pregnancy, if not used correctly.

Running

Running demands the same care as a jogging routine in pregnancy. Fast walking could be a better alternative here as well.

Scuba Diving

The unborn child may get the bends before the mother shows any signs. This may cause birth defects, although there are no conclusive studies proving this. There is always a further risk that the mother may suffer the bends, which may be so extreme a condition for the foetus that it leads to termination. We would not therefore recommend scuba diving during pregnancy.

Sex

If sex is your favourite sport, the best advice is to do what is comfortable; if it hurts or is uncomfortable don't do it. Avoid sexual activity if you have pain or bleeding - closeness and intimacy are possible without penetrative sex.

Skating

You can continue if you were a skating expert before you became pregnant although you may need to take extra care due to your disturbed sense of balance causing you to have more falls. Not an ideal sport to start in pregnancy.

Skiing

Even experts may fall, sometimes quite dramatically. With impaired balance which often comes with pregnancy, skiing is not recommended to pregnant women.

Snowboarding

Not recommended. There is a high risk of falling and injury.

Squash

This sport can put stress on the joints, cause jerky and sudden movements and increase the risk of losing balance, especially in the last three months. Gentle practice would be much better than competition.

Stretching

Stretching is NOT recommended in pregnancy. Extra care needs to be taken not to overstretch the muscles in later pregnancy. Antenatal classes may teach you good stretching techniques. Also most pregnancy books have some exercises that you can carry out safely at your own pace.

The pregnant body is more lax than in the non pregnant state, due to hormonal influences.

This means that it is easy to take a joint beyond its normal range and increase the potential for joint misalignment and injury. For this reason stretching is absolutely NOT recommended in pregnancy.

Surfing

You should avoid any activity that puts you at risk of falling.

Swimming

Swimming can be very relaxing in pregnancy because of the feeling of weightlessness as the water supports you. Some venues have aquatic classes just for pregnant women. Ask your club for details. Swimming is both gentle and effective. If you haven't swum regularly before, you should start by swimming slowly for just 5 to 10 minutes on the first three occasions. You can gradually increase this time to 20 minutes at normal pace, two to three times a week. Don't swim if the water that is too warm - water temperature should be between 18 and 25°C. Using steam rooms and hot tubs is not advised.

Tennis

Classified as a highly jerky and active sport associated with inevitable falls and injuries because of your sensitive sense of balance in pregnancy. Be very careful while playing, if you must. You may need to alter your program to suit your current condition. Consider the advantages of playing doubles when pregnant (with a considerate partner).

Trampolining

The combination of height and flight with poor balance, makes this a very bad idea for pregnant women.

Walking

Extremely good and gentle form of exercise especially in late pregnancy when your weight prevents you from doing many other forms of exercise. A brisk walk for 30 minutes two to three times a week is also an effective way of keeping fit.

Water Skiing

Water can enter the vagina and could theoretically cause infection, so not recommended.

Weight Training

Weight training is associated with back injuries. It becomes all the more risky in pregnancy where back pain is such a common problem anyway. If you must continue, use weights sensibly and take expert advice.

Yoga

Yoga is great for relaxation, suppleness, breathing control and developing concentration. You can either join yoga classes in pregnancy or pick gentle yoga exercises from yoga books. It is best to avoid the more vigorous forms of yoga like ashtanga and hatha.

If you would like to share your experience of sport and pregnancy with other parents please email contributions@forparentsbyparents.co.uk. We would love to hear from you if your sport is not yet covered, or if you can bring your personal experience to the site.

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