Riding a bike during pregnancy – can a pregnant woman ride a bike?

In some countries, like Denmark or Netherlands, bike is one of the main means of transportation so a pregnant woman riding a bike is nothing surprising there. However, in many other countries people are quite skeptical and even think that riding a bike during pregnancy is very dangerous. Well, to be perfectly honest, it is and it’s not.

Should a pregnant woman ride a bike? What dangers may result from this activity and what benefits it may have?

There are two main conditions that determine whether cycling is beneficial for a pregnant woman. First of all, the pregnant woman needs to be healthy and feel fine and it cannot be a high-risk pregnancy. Each pathology of pregnancy excludes the woman from this activity. If you’re a diabetic, have high blood pressure, the pregnancy is at risk or it is a multiple pregnancy, forget about riding a bike.

Second of all, if woman did ride a bike before pregnancy (frequently, not only occasionally), this activity may be beneficial for her during when she’s pregnant as well.

Therefore, if it’s not a high-risk pregnancy and you have often ridden a bike before pregnancy, this activity may have positive influence on your health and well-being during this magical 9 months. Of course you should consult this with your doctor anyway.

Here are the major benefits of riding a bike during pregnancy:

• It prevents varicose veins
• It prevent swelling of legs
• It improves the oxygenation of the body
• It helps to relieve the pressure on the spine
• It helps you to stay active during the whole pregnancy
• It may reduce the risk of insomnia, depression and anxiety
• It helps to reduce the stress

Moreover it may be a great substitute for riding a bus, especially if you’ve always liked riding a bicycle and have rarely ridden stuffy and crowded buses.

Riding a bike during pregnancy – precautions

If a pregnant woman wants to ride a bicycle she should remember that her body is changing and she needs to be more careful. First of all: she needs to ride slower. Second of all, she cannot do long distances. Most doctors agree that pregnant women shouldn’t ride on a bike more than 3 km (about 2 miles) a day. Pregnant woman usually gets tired faster and her body has less strength. 

Another thing that she should keep in mind is that there are a special saddles on the market – designed for pregnant women. They are wide, made of gel and very comfortable. They differ from standard hard sport saddles.

Another important thing is that during the pregnancy woman gets heavier and her belly gets bigger, so the center of gravity moves forward. Is she want to ride a bike she should remember about raising bike handlebars which will help to maintain proper posture. Thanks to that pregnant woman can breathe more easily and the pressure on her belly is smaller.

Other things that you should keep in mind, before you decide to ride a bike:

• Choose smooth, flat terrain
• Don’t go for a ride when it’s hot (if it’s summer, noon is not a good time for a ride)
• Always bring enough water
• If you feel tired during riding, stop, drink some water and rest!

Keep in mind, that even if your pregnancy is not at risk and you’re healthy and you have ridden a bike before pregnancy quite often, you should talk to your doctor anyway. If your gynecologist doesn’t allow you for this activity, you shouldn’t do it.