Exercise During Pregnancy: Avoid Planks When You Are Expecting

Plank is an excellent total body exercise, but it is better avoided when you're pregnant. Here's why:

Pregnant! Exercising can not only help reduce pregnancy symptoms, but also prepare your body for the delivery as well as reduce the risk of pregnancy-related complications. When we think of the best form of exercise for pregnant women, yoga comes to our mind. Most of the time, we talk about the benefits of prenatal yoga, and less about the exercises that expecting women should avoid. Yes, there are certain yoga poses that can do more harm than good to pregnant women. For example, those poses that will put pressure on the abdomen, twists and poses that require lying flat on your back. Planks is one such yoga poses women who are expecting should avoid doing.

Avoid planks while pregnant: Here's why

Planks work basically targets the whole body. From strengthening your spine and abdominal muscles to toning your butt and hamstrings, this simple pose provides a host of benefits. But it is better avoided when you're pregnant, putting pressure on the abdomen can create compression, which can restrict blood flow. Further, experts say performing planks can exacerbate mechanical strains on the body and trigger diastasis recti, the separation of the six-pack ab muscles during pregnancy. This can make your belly stick out or bulge months after giving birth.

Do not try any kind of twists during the first trimester as it can cause uterine contractions, which may increase the risk of miscarriage.

Open twists or twisting from the shoulders may not be that bad towards the third trimester. But it is recommended to do it with your doctor's approval.