We all know that it is important to keep moving and stay healthy when pregnant but is ballroom/Latin dancing a good idea?
Fortunately it is now being suggested as one of the best ways to stay in shape when pregnant. Hooray!
Ballroom and Latin dancing is generally considered gentle, low impact form of exercise which is exactly what you need during pregnancy.
A few things to do before you and baby get started
-
Ask your doctor or midwife about joining dance classes so you can get the go-ahead from a health professional
-
Look at your diary and work out when you can regularly attend dance classes once or twice a week for 30min stints to stay healthy and maybe look at combining this with other forms of gentle exercise such as yoga or swimming.
-
Tell your dance instructor that you’re pregnant before starting
-
Choose a dance studio that’s well-ventilated or has air conditioning, to prevent you from overheating
-
Make sure you regularly practise pelvic floor exercises to make sure that you don’t begin to leak while you’re dancing.
-
Warm up properly beforehand to prepare your joints and muscles for exercise. Skipping a warm-up could strain your ligaments and joints, which could cause injury.
-
Take a bottle of water with you to your class and drink plenty before, during and after your dance classes so that you don’t become dehydrated.
-
Eat a light snack before your session.
