If you love to dance, you may want to continue dancing during pregnancy. It is a great and fun way of exercising, but you may be skeptical about performing various dance forms while pregnant. However, if you have an uncomplicated pregnancy and aren’t advised any bed rest, you may resume dancing (1). It is a joyous form of working out, which has proven benefits like providing flexibility, relieving stress, and adding to the overall health (2). Even doctors recommend pregnant women undertake some form of physical exercise that helps maintain pregnancy health and eventually supports them during the birth process (3). However, it is best to consult your practitioner if you plan to dance when pregnant. Keep reading to learn about the benefits and precautions to take before you plan to continue dancing.

5 Benefits Of Dancing During Pregnancy

Dancing can be a great stress buster during pregnancy. Of course, you should not undertake strenuous dance forms or dance forms that involve heavy jumping (1). Instead, you can take up dance forms like samba, jazz, ballroom dance (without the lifts), and salsa specially tailored for expecting mothers. These are some ideal dance forms that will help you maintain your fitness levels during your early pregnancy. Some of the key benefits of dancing in pregnancy are as follows (4):

  1. Dancing can make the body flexible and agile. A flexible body during pregnancy helps you to move comfortably.
  2. Dancing can enhance muscle tone and strengthen your core. Ballet is a type of dance that can help you maintain your muscle tone.
  3. Besides this, dancing improves blood circulation and works to keep your heart and lungs healthy during pregnancy.
  4. Dancing can help improve balance and coordination. The center of gravity shifts up and forward during pregnancy, which causes pregnant women to feel clumsy (5).
  5. Dancing helps keep blood pressure in check, which help the mother provide enough nutrients and oxygen to the baby (6).

7 Precautions To Be Taken While Dancing During Your Pregnancy

Is it safe to dance during pregnancy? While dancing can be fun and can help you maintain your fitness levels during pregnancy, there are some precautions that you should take to ensure that you have a safe and healthy pregnancy. Some of the precautions are mentioned below:

  1. Do warm-up session before getting on with the dancing. It will prepare your joints, ligaments, and muscles to cope with the extra pressure that will build during dancing, and you will safely avoid any chances of injury. Note: Skipping warm-up increases the chances of an injury and rapid heart rate increase, which is not good during pregnancy.
  2. Avoid movements that involve lying flat on your back after the first trimester. According to experts, “as pregnancy progresses, the uterus can compress the inferior vena cava (the vein that returns blood from your lower body to your heart) and pelvic veins, slowing circulation in legs. Lying flat on the back can make the problem worse (7).”
  3. Take up dance routines that have steps that will ensure you have one foot on the floor at all times and practice stepping side to side for jumps.
  4. Avoid dance positions that require you to sit or stand up too quickly. Sitting or standing up too quickly can affect your blood flow (7).
  5. If you feel that your body cannot take it or feel overly tired, stop immediately. Do not pressurize or burn yourself out.
  6. During your second and third trimesters, pay extra heed to maintain your balance as your belly begins to grow.
  7. Avoid dance forms that include a lot of jerking movements, like lifts, jumps, backbends, rotation, big hip movements, etc. Also, stay away from hip hop or cheerleading dance styles.
  8. Avoid dancing in closed spaces or extreme heat conditions to avoid dehydration and overheating.

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