This is the question of many badminton players about whether they can play or not while pregnant.
A fast-paced sport like badminton necessitates agility, quickness, and a lot of rapid movement.
Avoiding high-intensity sports and exercise where you run the risk of falling or colliding with someone. So while you might still be able to play, it’s best to stay away.
Let’s examine why playing badminton during pregnancy is probably not a good idea.
Badminton is high-intensity
Most medical specialists advise exercising at your own speed when pregnant, especially in the later months.
Doctors tell ladies which exercise should be avoided during pregnancy.
You should be fine unless you opted to just hit the shuttle around for practice and not be chasing it like in a match.
Playing games, whether competitively or socially, involves a lot of movement and exertion.
Especially if your belly is getting noticeably bigger, putting a pregnant body under that strain can prove to be too much to handle.
Another issue is breathlessness; if you’re continually gasping for air, you won’t be giving yourself or the baby enough to breathe.
Pregnancy puts your entire body into overdrive since you are essentially caring for two bodies at once.
Your body needs as much energy as possible to support the baby’s growth.
Badminton game requires flexibility and agility
Flexibility and agility are two traits that are sometimes taken for granted.
It’s not until you stop playing for a long, get hurt, and then resume playing that you realize how important both are for playing badminton.
Naturally, you will be less mobile the further along in your pregnancy you are. Over pregnancy, a developing baby bump and other physical changes will only become more obvious.
Since your body is changing to make room for the baby, you may find it difficult to touch your toes or simply bend over or sit down.
During a game, you must be quick on your feet and able to change course at any time.
As your pregnancy progresses, it will become tougher for you to be agile overall as well as to stay light on your feet.
The weight of the baby bulge lowers your center of gravity, which can make you feel unbalanced and shaky as the transformation takes place.
Your body must adapt because it is used to the center of gravity in a slightly different location.
It should go without saying that falling or bumping your baby bump is not a good idea and something that should be avoided at all costs.
If you fall awkwardly or on your bump, you run the risk of seriously injuring not just the baby but also yourself.
A lot of rapid, jerky, or bouncy motions should be avoided during any workout, so changing directions quickly is another no-no.
The more you move around, the more likely you are to hurt the baby, and it will also make you uncomfortable.
Badminton can be unsafe in certain situations
For individuals who are extremely passionate about badminton, it could seem unjust to discourage them from using it as a form of exercise.
But everyone should be careful since there are scenarios in badminton that can gravely harm anyone regardless of fitness level, skill level, or ability. Let’s hit a few of these.
Badminton Shuttle in the eye
The possibility of being struck in the eye by the shuttle is not frequently discussed, but it ought to be.
The doubles players who play at the front of the court are more in danger.
It only takes a little bit of bad luck for the shuttle to hit the player in the eye as they won’t have enough time to react and move out of the way.
Slipping and falling
Unfortunately, I observe many social and low-level club players playing badminton in settings that are not appropriate for the sport.
Badminton is a dynamic sport that requires quick footwork and extensive court coverage.
Clashing rackets and shuttle
In doubles, it’s common to see players smack rackets while attempting the same stroke. Beginners and players new to doubles are more likely to experience this.
The damage that can result from such contact is sometimes irreparable to rackets, but it is nothing compared to what can happen if you collide with the other person directly.
The most common instance occurs in doubles when the two players are front and back and attacking.
The player at the back has just hit a shot, and the opponents have returned it to try to put the shuttle over the front player.
The front player comes back to get the shuttle easier, and the back player comes forward to meet it early, and the outcome is not pretty.
This is again something that is very rarely seen, but there are situations where you are at risk of being hit by someone else’s racket.
The back player will hit the front player as they travel back and may hit them in the head.
This could be very serious, or the front player will hit the back player as they travel back and swing their racquet for the shot.
As the front player cannot see behind him in this situation, the rear player should be aware and get out of the path.
Therefore, badminton is not as safe a sport as it might seem.
Conclusion
It’s sad news that it’s just not safe to play badminton whilst pregnant but it’s never 100% safe for everyone anyway.
I will recommend that to take a step back from badminton to really enjoy the important thing here which is the pregnancy itself.
Life comes and goes so quickly that we’ll often miss things if we’re distracted or busy etc.
Enjoy the time during pregnancy as it is one of the most special experiences in life and that’s worth missing badminton for a little while.
I am writing this article because of this one in the FAQ about badminton. Hope it will help you out.
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