QuestionI am a dance instructor I was wondering how much of this activity is o for me being 10 weeks pregnant. My mother says reaching above my head is bad but it could be a wives tale. We do jumps turns leaps and many stretches. If you could maybe help me out on what I should avoid that would be appreciated. I dont want to hurt my baby however teaching is my job so I need to know how to deal. Thank you so much for your time
AnswerReaching above your head is fine. What's not recommended is heavy weight lifting, like an overhead press, in the last half of pregnancy when the abs no loner provide adequate stability for the spine.
Most dancers stay fairly compact, and their bellies don't pop out and get in the way until much later than less fit individuals. When your belly gets bigger, you'll find that it takes a lot longer for you to shift your weight. Petite allegro is the first to go. Then the big jumps.
You should be able to keep teaching throughout your pregnancy. When moves become out of your technical range, mark them out for class.
Watch out for moves that place your head below your heart, like forward ballet stretches. As you come up, blood will drain quickly, and you might get dizzy or faint. (Positional low blood pressure.)
When stretching, always stretch the belly of the muscle, never ligaments/joints. Keep your Transverse Abdominis (TvA) as strong as you can. This will help prevent abdominal separation, increase "pushing" strength during delivery, and help you re-flatten you abs quickly after childbirth.
There are two safe abdominal exercises that work the TvA that you can do at all stages of pregnancy on my web site. Go to: http://befitmom.com/strength_training.html and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
