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Is It Safe to Exercise During Pregnancy?
Updated: Jun 23, 2025
A Guide for Expecting Mothers
If you’re pregnant and wondering whether it’s safe to keep moving your body….the short answer is: Yes, absolutely!
For most women with a healthy pregnancy continuing or commencing moderate intensity exercise presents no risk to you or your baby.
In fact, staying active during pregnancy can offer a wide range of benefits - physical, emotional,.
Despite some outdated myths, current medical research strongly supports regular physical activity as both safe and highly beneficial for expecting mothers and their babies.
Let’s take a deeper dive into what the research says about the benefits of exercising during pregnancy, what types of activity are recommended, and when to consult your healthcare provider.
Why Should You Exercise During Pregnancy?
Many pregnant women experience fatigue, aches and pains, and emotional ups and downs. While it might feel like you just want to collapse in a heap on the couch, regular exercise is one of the best things you can do during this transformational time for your body and mind.
Benefits include:
1. Improving Strength and Posture and Preventing Common Aches and Pains
As your body changes, you may notice an increase in lower back pain, pelvic pain and general discomfort. This is due to the shifting of your center of gravity as your belly grows, combined with hormonal changes that soften your joints and ligaments.
Regular strength-focused exercise, particularly movements that strengthen the core, glutes, and back, can:
Support your spine and pelvis and prevent injury
Improve functional mobility
Reduce the risk of developing pelvic and low back pain, PGP or SPD.
Help prevent urinary incontinence by strengthening the pelvic floor
Prevent or improve restless leg syndrome
Reduce round ligament pain
2. Supporting Cardiovascular Health for You and Your Baby
During pregnancy, your body undergoes significant cardiovascular changes.
Blood volume increases by up to 45%, and your heart must work harder to pump this additional blood throughout your body.
Engaging in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming or prenatal fitness classes can help your cardiovascular system adapt efficiently. It also prepares your body for the physical demands of labour.
150 mins a week or 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on most days of the week is safe and beneficial for pregnant women without medical complications.
3. Reduce the Risk of Pregnancy-Related Complications
Exercise during pregnancy has been consistently linked to a lower risk of several common and serious complications, including:
Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure)
Preeclampsia
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)
Excessive weight gain
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
These conditions not only affect your wellbeing during pregnancy but may also increase your risk of medical interventions such as inductions and cesarean sections.
4. Better Labour and Birth Outcomes
Labour is a physically demanding process. Much like a marathon, it requires stamina, strength, mental focus and confidence in your body.
Women who maintain a regular exercise routine during pregnancy are more likely to:
Have shorter labours
Experience fewer complications during birth and postpartum
Be able to access and maintain upright or active birthing positions which can help progress labour, alleviate labour stalls, prevent perineal tearing and help manage labour sensations.
Improve endurance and ability to manage physical stress demands
Have a successful vaginal delivery
5. Supporting Baby’s Health and Development
The benefits of prenatal exercise extend to your baby, too. Research shows that the benefits for babies born to mothers who stay active during pregnancy extend beyond the womb, and can have an impact on future health and development!
By exercising regularly throughout pregnancy your baby will:
Have improved fetal heart rate regulation
Show greater stress tolerance during labour
May experience improved neurological development
Have a lower risk of childhood obesity
6. Boost Your Mood and Mental Wellbeing
Pregnancy is a life changing event and can be an emotional journey. Accepting changes to your current lifestyle, identity, body can be a challenging task and with it can come stress, anxiety and low moods. Regular physical activity can be one of the most effective way to combat this feelings, and boost wellbeing
In fact, prenatal exercise is linked to a reduced risk of perinatal depression, one of the most common mood disorders affecting expecting and new mums.
When to Speak with Your Healthcare Provider
While exercise is safe for most, certain medical conditions may require you to avoid or modify physical activity. Always consult your GP, obstetrician, or midwife if you have or develop:
Persistent vaginal bleeding
Cardiovascular or lung disease
Cervical insufficiency or cerclage
Preeclampsia or high blood pressure
Preterm labour or premature rupture of membranes
Thyroid disorders
Anemia
Placenta previa (especially after 26 weeks)
Carrying multiples with complications
Your healthcare team can guide you on what movements are appropriate and what to avoid based on your unique circumstances.
Final Thoughts for Mums-to-Be
Your body is doing incredible things, your growing life! You are strong, capable and you don’t have to give up moving your body. In fact, maintaining a safe and enjoyable exercise routine during pregnancy can transform your experience, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Whether you enjoy walking along the beaches of Hobart, attending strength and conditioning classes with friends, or working with a pregnancy-specific personal trainer, safe and specific movement can be your best tool for a smoother pregnancy, a stronger body, and a more empowered birth.
Need Help Getting Started?
I specialise in pregnancy specific coaching and birth preparation for women in Hobart. Whether you're new to fitness and want to experience the above benefits or want to adapt your current routine, I’m here to guide you with expert, evidence-based support.
Reach out to book a free consultation or join one of my prenatal group classes in Hobart today.
References
Morris, R. O., & Callaway, L. K. (2018). Pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy. Australian Journal of General Practice, 47(7), 439–443. Retrieved from https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2018/july/pelvic-girdle-pain-in-pregnancy
The Royal Women's Hospital. (n.d.). Active pregnancy. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://www.thewomens.org.au/health-information/pregnancy-and-birth/a-healthy-pregnancy/active-pregnancy
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – Committee Opinion No. 804 Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) Exercise for the prevention and treatment of low back, pelvic girdle and lumbopelvic pain during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis 🔗 https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/2/90
Birth Journal – Exercise during pregnancy and risk of late preterm birth, cesarean delivery, and hospitalization: findings from the 2004–2005 North Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System 🔗 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049386713001084
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease The Influence of Prenatal Exercise on Offspring Health: A Review 🔗 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4137/CMWH.S34670
Archives of Women's Mental Health Prenatal exercise and its effects on postpartum mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis 🔗 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00737-024-01525-2
Morris, R. O., & Callaway, L. K. (2018). Pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy. Australian Journal of General Practice, 47(7), 439–443
Kołomańska, D., Zarawski, M., & Mazur-Bialy, A. (2019). Physical activity and depressive disorders in pregnant women—A systematic review. Medicina (Kaunas), 55(5), 212. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55050212
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