When NOT to Exercise when You’re Expecting

Pregnant women are encouraged to exercise. It is extremely important to strengthen one’s core in order to prepare the body for accommodating the pregnancy as well as for labor and childbirth. Aerobics, a preferred method of exercising, is contraindicated for some expectant moms. Here are some medical conditions that prevent a mother from performing aerobics:

1. An incompetent cervix: A weakened cervix cannot tolerate any weight-bearing exercises. It will ripen and dilate prematurely, causing a spontaneous abortion or preterm labor and childbirth. The common treatment for an incompetent cervix is a cerclage, and this still does not make it safe for a woman to exercise.
   
   
2. A lung or heart disease: Diseases of the heart or the lungs cause an abnormality in the way the mother’s body absorbs oxygen. Oxygen is crucial for both mother and child, and lack of it can cause severe and irreversible tissue damage. Because exercise increases the demand of oxygen. It is not advisable.
   
   
3. Twins of multiple pregnancy: Your uterus is more crowded and you are more likely to give birth prematurely. You must avoid strenuous activities in order to minimize the risks.
   
   
4. Placenta previa in the second trimester or the third: Physical exertion may cause the placenta to rupture or get damaged, especially as the baby gets bigger in the second and third trimester.
   
   
5. Persistent spotting or bleeding: Bleeding is never a normal circumstance in any pregnancy, especially if it persists up to the second and third trimester. Women who are persistent bleeders must be on bedrest to avoid complications.
   
   
6. Preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension): Women with preeclampsia have low tolerance to stress. Stress causes their blood pressure to shoot up, causing a deficiency in the oxygen delivered to the fetus.
   
   

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