Exercise during pregnancy is important to improve the pregnancy outcome. Here you find contraindications to exercise during pregnancy.

Absolute Contraindications to Exercise during Pregnancy

• Hemodynamically significant heart disease
• Restrictive lung disease
• Incompetent cervix
• Multiple gestation at risk for premature labor
• Persistent second or third trimester bleeding
• Placenta previa after 26 weeks of gestation
• Premature labor during the current pregnancy
• Ruptured membranes
• Pre-eclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension

Relative Contraindications to Exercise During Pregnancy

• Severe anemia
• Unevaluated maternal cardiac arrhythmia
• Chronic bronchitis
• Poorly controlled type 1 diabetes
• Extreme morbid obesity 
• Extreme underweight (BMI<12)
• History of extremely sedentary lifestyle
• Intrauterine growth restriction in current pregnancy
• Poorly controlled hypertension
• Orthopedic limitations
• Poorly controlled seizure disorder
• Poorly controlled hyperthyroidism
• Heavy smoker
• Third trimester breech presentation
• Multiple pregnancy (>twins)

Reason to terminate exercise during pregnancy

• Vaginal bleeding
• Dyspnea prior to exertion
• Dizziness or faintness
• Headache or visual disturbance
• Unexplained abdominal pain
• Muscle weakness
• Swelling of ankles, hands, or face
• Swelling, pain, and redness in the calf of one leg
• Preterm labor, persistent contractions (> 6-8/h)
• Decreased fetal movement
• Amniotic fluid leakage
• Elevated pulse or blood pressure persisting after exercise
• Fatigue, palpitations, chest pain
• Insufficient weight gain(<1.0kg/month during last two trimesters)

(ACOG, 2002; ACOG, 2003; Davies et al., 2003; Paisley, 2003)