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Expecting to Dance

Dancing Your Way to Fitness

By Heather V. Long

"You want to take precautions," Kirkpatrick says. "Don't let your heart rate exceed 140, drink lots of water and take frequent breaks." When exercising, you should pay attention to your body and how you feel. Don't overdo it and try to build up to your level of fitness gradually.

Dancing can be a liberating form of exercise, but pregnant women should check with their health care provider.

Dance classes offered through the hospital or a gym can be great ways to get started in your first trimester. Low-impact water aerobics or water dancing is another way to go. I tried water aerobics and found it to be a great way to relax after a long day during the third trimester. Water adds buoyancy and relieves the stress of weight on the lower back while working out.

Tenna Perry of Porter, Texas, continued her karate training while pregnant. While not dancing, karate employs similar methods of balance in the exercises. "After about the sixth month when my center of balance shifted, I didn't continue to spar," she says. "I simply continued my training of techniques and my katas for at least 30 minutes each day."

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Social Dancing: A Low-impact Exercise Secret for Moms-to-be
• Swaying to the Music: Dancing for Fitness and Fun
• Move That Belly!: Bellydancing During Pregnancy
• Talk about it!