Bowling During Pregnancy – Is It Safe?

Exercising is undeniably beneficial for overall health, and this is especially true during pregnancy. Staying active helps pregnant women maintain their well-being, and engaging in low-impact activities and exercises is highly recommended. These activities not only keep the body fit but can also contribute to a smoother, safer delivery by promoting flexibility and reducing stress.

Bowling is often considered a low-impact activity, as it doesn’t involve the intensity of running or shoving. However, it does require lifting a heavy ball, which might not be the best idea when your body is more sensitive. This leads to the question: is bowling allowed for a woman who is expecting, or should it be avoided to prevent potential strain? Read on to learn about bowling during pregnancy.

Can You Bowl While Pregnant?

When exercising, the best advice for pregnant women is not to start anything you were not already doing before your pregnancy and always consult your doctor first.

If bowling has been a regular part of your lifestyle even before you got pregnant, it should be relatively safer for you to continue even after pregnancy. However, this will depend on what your doctor says about your physical condition when you want to go bowling. Be sure to get a check-up before booking a lane at the alley!

During the later months of pregnancy, your body starts preparing for childbirth. This means that it begins to release the “relaxin” hormone, which causes your body parts to relax. This does not only pertain to the body parts that will be the most active during childbirth but also other body parts, like your face or fingers.

Because of the relaxin hormone, you start dropping things more often than usual as your grip is no longer as firm as it usually used to be. Your sense of balance can also be thrown off. It can be dangerous to bowl when your body is more relaxed than you realize, especially if it is not something you have ever been in the habit of doing.

While bowling and pregnancy are not the most dangerous combo out there, it is always recommended that you visit with your doctor and get checked up first. This way, your doctor will let you know if your body will be able to handle it and the precautions you should take.

Can Bowling Be Uncomfortable During Pregnancy?

Though bowling is a low-impact activity, it does require a certain amount of balancing and lifting. As your body is going through so many changes, you will likely experience discomfort while you bowl.

Your growing stomach will cause more pressure to be laid on your back, leaving you with a backache. Trying to send a heavy bowling ball down a lane can exert even more pressure on your back, among other problems (1).

Bowling requires upper body strength, but during pregnancy, your ligaments and joints tend to lose strength. This can develop body strains or result in a serious injury to you or your child.

Benefits of Bowling & Low-Impact Activities During Pregnancy?

Exercise during pregnancy is crucial to reduce any complications during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Here are some of the reasons why low-impact activities, such as bowling, are great but only under your doctor’s recommendation:

• Low-impact exercises cause less pressure on your joints as compared to high-impact activities.
• Keeping up a low-impact exercise routine during your pregnancy will lower the risk of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Low-impact exercises improve your stamina and your heart rate.
• They help lower your risk of getting into depression as it boosts your mood.
• They improve the rate of recovery after delivery.
• They improve your overall mental health, making it less likely to develop postpartum depression.

When Should Pregnant Women Avoid Bowling?

Bowling can be a fun and relaxing activity, but pregnant women should be cautious about when to participate. Here are some situations where it might be best to avoid bowling during pregnancy:

• If you have lower back pain or discomfort, lifting and swinging a bowling ball could worsen your symptoms.
• Women with a history of miscarriage or high-risk pregnancy should avoid activities that involve lifting heavy objects, like bowling.
• Pregnancy can affect your balance, making it risky to engage in activities that require coordination and stability.
• If you are feeling unusually tired or fatigued, it’s better to rest than to exert yourself with physical activities.
• Bowling involves repetitive motion and weight-bearing, which can aggravate joint pain or swelling, common in pregnancy.

Tips for Safe Bowling While Pregnancy

If your doctor has agreed that bowling will be safe for you, you should still take a few precautions to ensure that you are doing it safely. Here are some tips that you will find helpful before you head out to have fun with your friends (2):

1. Watch Where You Walk

Oils are used to make the lanes smooth so that the bowling balls travel down more smoothly. To avoid slipping, you should always watch your step, being careful not to cross the line into the lane.

2. Choose a Light Ball

You may have a preferred weight when it comes to your bowling ball, but for the sake of your child, always pick the lightest ball available to you. Pregnant women should always avoid carrying anything heavy.

3. Listen to Your Body

If a particular motion doesn’t feel right and causes you discomfort, pause immediately. Either switch your technique or just quit.

4. Opt for Duckpins

Duckpin Bowling is played on the same tenpin lane as a standard bowling match, except that it uses pins and balls much smaller in size. This will result in a lot lesser strain on your body.

5. Use Your Knees

When bowling while pregnant, you can try bending your knees instead of bending at the waist while bowling. This will prevent any unnecessary strain on your back and will help you improve your posture.

6. Move Slowly

As your balance will be off because of the shift in your center of gravity, you should always move slowly to avoid falling.

7. Go for a Check-up

Make sure to set an appointment with your doctor before your bowling match. This way, your doctor can let you know if you are in good enough shape to play or if you should sit the game out.

FAQs

“How safe is bowling during pregnancy?” could still be a nagging question for you. If so, here are a couple of the most frequently asked questions about bowling during pregnancy to help put your mind more at ease:

1. Can bowling cause miscarriage?

As long as you are careful and vigilant when you go bowling, there is no reason for you to believe that it will cause a miscarriage. Some of the significant concerns with bowling during pregnancy involve tripping, falling, and lifting a heavy ball. Suppose you fall or lift a heavy ball, the probability of miscarriage increases. This is why you must never take the guidelines put forth by your doctor lightly. Make sure to stop playing if you feel pressure on your back or if you start feeling tired.

2. Is it safe to go bowling during the first trimester?

It is safe for you to go bowling in your first trimester as long as you pay attention to how your body is feeling. If you feel tired, stop playing immediately and sit down. Always make sure to avoid the heavy balls and only pick those that are lighter.

3. Can bowling during pregnancy affect my baby’s development?

Bowling itself is a low-impact activity, but the act of lifting a heavy bowling ball repeatedly could potentially strain your body. While occasional bowling is unlikely to harm your baby, it’s important to listen to your body and avoid overexertion to ensure your baby’s development remains unaffected.

4. Can you bowl while pregnant in the third trimester?

During the third trimester, your balance and center of gravity are significantly altered due to your growing belly. This can make bowling more challenging and increase the risk of falls. It’s advisable to avoid bowling or opt for lighter balls and extra caution if you choose to bowl in the later stages of pregnancy.

Whether you have always exercised as a part of your lifestyle or you have been advised to start so that you have a healthy and safe pregnancy, you must always consult your doctor first before any activity. This includes bowling in pregnancy! Together, you can develop a list of guidelines that you need to follow to remain safe and avoid unnecessary complications. Your doctor will help you determine the guidelines based on your physical condition and your current gestation stage.

References/Resources:

1. Activities to Avoid During Pregnancy; American Pregnancy Association; https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/is-it-safe/activities-to-avoid-during-pregnancy/

2. Exercise in pregnancy; NHS; https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/

3. Exercise During Pregnancy; The Sensible Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy; Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; https://www.wm.edu/as/programs/healthy_beginnings/files/healthy_beginnings_originals/exercise_during_pregnancy_pamphlet.pdf

4. Active pregnancy; The Women’s: The Royal Women’s Hospital; https://www.thewomens.org.au/health-information/pregnancy-and-birth/a-healthy-pregnancy/active-pregnancy

5. 3 exercises to avoid during pregnancy – and 7 that are safer; UT Southwestern Medical Center; https://utswmed.org/medblog/exercises-avoid-pregnancy/

6. Miller. S, Rayan. G; Bowling related injuries of the hand and upper extremity; a review (Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association); National Library of Medicine; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9714970/; August 1998

7. Exercise during pregnancy: Safe, beneficial; Mayo Clinic Health System; https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/exercise-during-pregnancy

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