Exercise During Pregnancy: A Realistic Guide to Staying Active
Finding out you’re pregnant has a funny way of making you question things you’ve previously done without giving them a second thought. Suddenly you’re checking whether you can drink your usual coffee, eat a particular cheese, lift something heavy or carry on doing the exercise you’ve always done. Even if you’ve been active for years, it can be difficult to know whether you should continue as normal or start treating your body very differently.
Exercise during pregnancy is particularly confusing because you’ll probably hear completely contradictory advice. Some people take the view that pregnancy isn’t an illness and you should carry on doing everything you did before, while others seem to think pregnancy means wrapping yourself in cotton wool for nine months. Neither extreme is particularly helpful.
For most people with an uncomplicated pregnancy, staying active is considered both safe and beneficial. Current UK guidance recommends working towards at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week during pregnancy, but that doesn’t mean you need to suddenly become a fitness fanatic or worry if you’re nowhere near that amount at the moment. UK Chief Medical Officers – Physical activity during pregnancy
What you can comfortably do will depend on how active you were before pregnancy, how your pregnancy is progressing and, quite simply, how you feel. Someone who was running several times a week before becoming pregnant is starting from a very different place from someone who hasn’t exercised regularly for years.
Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?
For most women with an uncomplicated pregnancy, the answer is yes. The NHS recommends continuing your normal daily physical activity or exercise for as long as you feel comfortable, and that can include activities such as walking, running, swimming, dancing and other forms of exercise you already enjoy. NHS – Exercise in pregnancy
Of course, saying exercise is generally safe during pregnancy doesn’t mean every type of exercise is appropriate for every pregnant woman. There are pregnancy complications and health conditions that may affect what you should do, and your midwife or obstetric team may give you individual advice. If that happens, their advice is considerably more relevant than anything you read in a general article online.
I think that’s an important distinction because sometimes health advice becomes so cautious that it makes perfectly healthy pregnant women frightened to move, while advice at the opposite end of the spectrum can make women feel they should simply push through everything. Neither is necessary. You can stay active while also accepting that pregnancy changes your body and there may be times when you need to adapt.
How much exercise should you do when pregnant?
Current UK guidance recommends that pregnant women work towards at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, ideally spread throughout the week. Strengthening activities are also recommended twice a week. UK Chief Medical Officers – Pregnancy activity guidance
If 150 minutes sounds like a lot, particularly if you’re currently doing very little, don’t let the number put you off doing anything at all. You don’t need to achieve the entire recommendation before exercise becomes worthwhile. A ten-minute walk is still ten minutes of activity, and several shorter periods throughout the week can gradually add up.
This is something I think gets lost in exercise advice generally. We see a recommendation and immediately turn it into a pass-or-fail target. If we’re supposed to do 150 minutes and only manage 50, we decide we’ve failed, rather than recognising that 50 minutes is considerably more movement than none.
Pregnancy is definitely not the time to add another thing to your list of reasons you’re apparently not doing enough.
How do you know whether you’re exercising too hard?
You don’t need to spend your entire workout staring at your heart rate.
The NHS suggests using the talk test as a simple guide. When exercising at a moderate intensity, you should still be able to hold a conversation. If you’re becoming so breathless that talking is difficult, you may be exercising too strenuously. NHS – Exercise in pregnancy
How hard an activity feels may also change throughout your pregnancy. A walk you barely noticed at 12 weeks might feel considerably more demanding later when you’re carrying a much bigger bump. That doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly become unfit. Your body is simply working under very different circumstances.
Try not to become so attached to your previous pace, distance or weights that reducing them feels like failure. Exercise during pregnancy is about staying active and looking after yourself, not proving that pregnancy hasn’t affected you.
What if you weren’t active before becoming pregnant?
You haven’t missed your opportunity to become more active just because you weren’t exercising before your positive pregnancy test. You can start during pregnancy, but this isn’t the time to suddenly begin an intense training programme.
The NHS suggests starting gradually, with something as manageable as around ten minutes of daily activity such as brisk walking, and building up over time. NHS Best Start in Life – Exercising in pregnancy
I much prefer that approach to deciding you’re going to go from nothing to five workouts a week. Starting with something small gives you the chance to see how your body responds and, perhaps more importantly, makes exercise much easier to fit into your life.
If ten minutes feels comfortable, you might eventually make it fifteen or twenty. You could add another walk later in the week or try swimming. There doesn’t need to be a grand pregnancy fitness plan.
Can you continue your normal exercise when pregnant?
If you were already active before becoming pregnant, you can generally continue with the activities you’re used to while adapting them as necessary. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be doing exactly the same workout at 35 weeks as you were at five weeks, though.
Pregnancy changes your body in ways that can affect exercise. Your centre of gravity changes as your bump grows, you may become tired more easily and some movements simply become awkward. There are also pregnancy-specific precautions to consider, particularly later on.
Rather than deciding at the beginning of pregnancy exactly what you’re going to do for the next nine months, I’d take it stage by stage. Keep doing what feels comfortable and appropriate, make changes when you need to and don’t feel you have anything to prove by carrying on with an activity you’ve stopped enjoying.
Is walking good exercise during pregnancy?
Walking is probably one of the easiest ways to stay active because it requires very little preparation and can be adapted to how you’re feeling that day. You don’t need a gym membership, specialist equipment or even a particularly large amount of free time.
If you’re already fairly active, you might enjoy a longer brisk walk. If you’re just getting started, ten minutes around the block could be enough. As your pregnancy progresses, you might find that you naturally walk more slowly or prefer shorter routes with somewhere to stop.
Everyday walking counts too. Walking to the shops, taking the dog out or going for a short walk at lunchtime doesn’t become less valuable because you haven’t changed into gym clothes first.
This would be a really natural place to link to your gentle exercise that really counts article because the same principle applies: movement doesn’t have to look impressive to be worthwhile.
What about swimming?
Swimming is another popular option during pregnancy and can become particularly appealing as your bump grows because the water supports some of your body weight. The NHS includes swimming among activities suitable for pregnancy, and some pools also offer aqua-natal classes specifically designed for pregnant women. NHS – Exercise in pregnancy
You don’t need to be an enthusiastic swimmer doing dozens of lengths for it to count. A gentle swim or an appropriate aqua class can give you some movement without the impact involved in activities such as running.
As with anything new, start gradually if swimming hasn’t been part of your usual routine. It’s quite easy to do more than you realise in water because the exercise can feel easier at the time.
Can you run during pregnancy?
If you’re already an experienced runner and your pregnancy is uncomplicated, you may be able to continue running while it remains comfortable. The NHS advises that experienced runners can generally continue but doesn’t recommend suddenly taking up running for the first time during pregnancy. NHS Best Start in Life – Exercising in pregnancy
You might find that your pace changes or that the distances you previously enjoyed no longer feel right. At some point you may decide you’d rather walk, swim or do something completely different.
That isn’t losing fitness or giving up. There is no medal for continuing to run for the greatest possible number of weeks into pregnancy. If it still feels good and you’ve had no reason to stop, great. If it doesn’t, there are plenty of other ways to stay active.
Yoga and Pilates during pregnancy
Yoga and Pilates can be good options, particularly if you enjoy a slower form of exercise, but I’d look for pregnancy-specific classes or instructors who are properly qualified to work with pregnant women.
If you’re attending an ordinary class, tell the instructor that you’re pregnant and how far along you are. They can then tell you whether the class is suitable and modify exercises where necessary.
I wouldn’t assume that something is automatically pregnancy-safe simply because it’s gentle. Some positions become less appropriate as pregnancy progresses, so an instructor who understands pregnancy exercise is much more useful than trying to modify everything yourself from a YouTube video.
Can you still go to the gym?
You don’t have to cancel your gym membership the moment you’re pregnant. If you already enjoy going to the gym, many of the activities you normally do can continue with sensible adaptations.
That could include walking on the treadmill, using certain cardio machines and continuing with suitable resistance exercises. If you’re attending classes, make sure the instructor knows you’re pregnant so they can suggest alternatives where necessary.
I’d also let go of the idea that maintaining exactly the same weights or performance throughout pregnancy is somehow the goal. Some women will continue doing a lot; others will naturally reduce what they’re doing. Both can be completely reasonable.
Strength exercise matters during pregnancy too
Pregnancy exercise advice often concentrates on walking, swimming and other aerobic activities, but current UK guidance also recommends including muscle-strengthening activity twice a week.
If strength training was already part of your routine, you may be able to continue with appropriate modifications. If it’s completely new to you, start conservatively and consider getting advice from someone appropriately qualified in antenatal exercise.
Strength exercise doesn’t necessarily mean lifting enormous weights. Depending on your experience, exercises using your own body weight, resistance bands or manageable weights can all help maintain strength.
The important thing is that the exercise is appropriate for you, rather than copying whatever a very fit pregnant stranger happens to be doing on Instagram.
Don’t forget your pelvic floor
Pelvic-floor exercises aren’t the most exciting form of pregnancy exercise, but they are worth knowing about. Pregnancy and childbirth put extra pressure on the pelvic-floor muscles, and regularly exercising them can help reduce the likelihood of problems such as stress incontinence.
The NHS recommends pelvic-floor exercises during pregnancy and provides instructions for doing them correctly. NHS – Exercise in pregnancy
If you’re not sure whether you’re actually using the right muscles, ask your midwife or a pelvic-health physiotherapist. It’s much better to ask than spend months diligently exercising something completely different!
Why does advice change after 16 weeks?
One of the pregnancy-specific exercise recommendations worth remembering is to avoid spending long periods exercising while lying flat on your back after around 16 weeks.
As your uterus becomes heavier, lying flat can put pressure on a major blood vessel and make you feel faint. The NHS therefore advises avoiding exercises that involve lying flat on your back for long periods later in pregnancy. NHS – Exercise in pregnancy
This doesn’t mean half your exercise routine suddenly becomes forbidden the day you reach 16 weeks. It simply means modifying exercises and positions as your pregnancy progresses, which a good antenatal instructor should be able to help with.
Are there exercises you should avoid during pregnancy?
There are some activities where the potential risks make them inappropriate during pregnancy. Contact sports where there’s a risk of your bump being hit are best avoided, as are activities with a significant risk of falling or abdominal trauma.
The NHS advises particular caution with things such as horse riding, downhill skiing and gymnastics because of the risk of falling. Scuba diving should be avoided because the baby has no protection against decompression sickness and gas embolism. NHS – Exercise in pregnancy
Exercise at very high altitude also needs care, particularly if you’re not accustomed to it.
Rather than trying to memorise a huge list of banned activities, think about the nature of what you’re doing. As pregnancy progresses, an activity involving a realistic risk of falling, collision or significant impact to your abdomen probably isn’t the best choice.
Be sensible about heat and hydration
Exercising when it’s very hot can be unpleasant at the best of times, and pregnancy can make you feel warmer anyway. The NHS advises avoiding strenuous exercise in hot weather and making sure you drink enough fluids when you’re active.
That might mean exercising earlier in the morning during hot weather, choosing somewhere indoors or simply reducing the intensity of what you’re doing.
You don’t need to prove anything by finishing a workout when you’re overheating and miserable. Move it, shorten it or leave it for another day.
Your exercise routine may change throughout pregnancy
I think this is one of the things that’s easy to forget when you’re newly pregnant. Nine months is a long time, and your body at the beginning of pregnancy is very different from your body towards the end.
You might spend the first trimester feeling so nauseous and exhausted that your normal exercise disappears almost completely, feel much better during the second trimester and then find everything physically harder again as your bump grows.
That’s not inconsistency. That’s pregnancy.
Rather than judging yourself against what you managed last month, work with the body you’ve got today. If a 30-minute walk felt lovely last week but you’re exhausted after 15 minutes today, turn around and go home. There will be other days.
What if you’re exhausted and really don’t want to exercise?
Pregnancy tiredness can be absolutely overwhelming, particularly during the first trimester. Telling someone who can barely stay awake that they’ll feel better if they simply exercise more isn’t particularly helpful.
There will be days when gentle movement does make you feel better. Getting outside for a short walk might wake you up, improve your mood or simply stop you feeling as though you’ve been indoors all day.
There will also be days when you need to rest.
The 150-minute recommendation isn’t something you have to achieve perfectly every single week regardless of how you’re feeling. Current guidance emphasises that every bit of activity counts, particularly if you were previously inactive.
If all you manage during a difficult week is a couple of short walks, they haven’t suddenly become worthless because you didn’t reach a target.
Exercise shouldn’t just be about controlling pregnancy weight gain
This is one area where I’d definitely change the tone of the old Just Average Jen pregnancy content.
Exercise during pregnancy has sometimes been presented primarily as a way of avoiding putting on “too much” weight, but that’s an incredibly narrow reason to stay active. Physical activity during pregnancy has benefits for fitness and wellbeing and is associated with a reduced risk of conditions including gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders. UK Chief Medical Officers – Physical activity during pregnancy
Your body is supposed to change during pregnancy, and weight gain is part of that.
If you’re concerned about your weight or have been told that it creates additional risks for your pregnancy, speak to your midwife or maternity team. Trying to compensate by dramatically increasing your exercise isn’t the answer.
Read more in my post about a healthy diet during pregnancy, which talks about pregnancy weight.
What if you’re overweight when you become pregnant?
Being overweight doesn’t mean exercise isn’t for you. If anything, this is where I think pregnancy advice needs to be particularly careful not to make women feel as though their body is a problem before they’ve even started.
If you were already active, talk to your maternity team about continuing what you enjoy. If you weren’t particularly active before pregnancy, start gradually with something manageable. Walking and swimming can both be good options because you can easily adapt the amount you do.
Depending on your BMI, health and how your pregnancy progresses, you may be offered additional monitoring or individual advice. Follow that rather than trying to use a generic pregnancy workout to control your weight.
Exercise can be about maintaining fitness, strength, mobility and wellbeing. It doesn’t need to become punishment for being pregnant in a larger body.
What if exercise starts to hurt?
Some aches and discomforts can occur as pregnancy progresses, but that doesn’t mean you should automatically ignore pain because pregnancy is supposed to be uncomfortable.
Back pain and pelvic pain can make certain activities difficult, and you may need to adapt what you’re doing. Perhaps walking becomes uncomfortable but swimming feels much better, or you find shorter periods of activity easier.
If you’re experiencing persistent pain, pelvic problems or symptoms that are making exercise difficult, speak to your midwife, GP or an appropriately qualified physiotherapist. Getting individual advice is much more useful than repeatedly trying exercises that make you feel worse.
When should you stop exercising and seek advice?
Exercise advice can only ever be general because nobody reading an article online has access to the details of your pregnancy.
If you feel unwell during exercise, develop unusual pain or symptoms, or something has changed in your pregnancy, stop and seek advice from your maternity team. If your midwife or obstetrician has specifically told you to restrict certain activities because of a complication, follow their advice.
What could a realistic week of pregnancy exercise look like?
How much exercise is realistic will vary enormously depending on your starting fitness, stage of pregnancy and how you’re feeling.
Someone who was already active might continue with several familiar workouts each week, perhaps adjusting the intensity or duration. Someone who previously did very little might begin with ten-minute walks and gradually build them up.
Eventually, a week could include a few walks, a swim and some gentle strengthening activity. Another week might look completely different because you’re tired, busy or simply don’t fancy swimming anymore.
The goal is to build movement into pregnancy rather than create another schedule you feel guilty about failing to follow.
Don’t compare your pregnancy with someone else’s
Social media hasn’t exactly helped with this.
There will always be someone online running at 38 weeks, lifting weights with an enormous bump or posting a workout while looking suspiciously energetic for somebody growing an entire human.
That’s great if that’s genuinely what works for them, but it tells you absolutely nothing about what your pregnancy should look like.
Some women remain extremely active throughout pregnancy. Others deal with severe sickness, pelvic pain, exhaustion or complications that make exercise much more difficult. Most probably fall somewhere between those extremes.
Being able to exercise more doesn’t make someone better at being pregnant.
The useful comparison is with yourself. Are you moving in a way that feels appropriate for your body and circumstances? If you can gradually become or remain active without making yourself miserable, that’s far more valuable than trying to match somebody else’s pregnancy.
Staying active during pregnancy doesn’t need to become another job
There’s already plenty to think about when you’re pregnant without turning exercise into another enormous project.
If you were active before pregnancy, you can usually continue while adapting as your body changes. If you weren’t active, you can start gradually rather than assuming pregnancy means you’ve missed your chance.
Walk if you enjoy walking. Swim if being in the water feels good. Continue suitable gym sessions or classes if that’s what you’ve always liked. Include some strengthening activity and remember those pelvic-floor exercises you’ve probably been told about approximately seventeen times already.
Aim towards the recommended 150 minutes a week if that’s appropriate for you, but don’t treat it as a weekly pass-or-fail test.
Some weeks you’ll do more and some weeks you’ll do less. As your pregnancy progresses, what feels comfortable will probably change.
That’s okay.
The aim isn’t to have the fittest pregnancy possible. It’s simply to keep your body moving in a way that works for you and your pregnancy.
Sources and further reading
Medical sources you might like to read.
- NHS – Exercise in pregnancy — NHS advice about staying active, exercises and activities to avoid.
- NHS Best Start in Life – Exercising in pregnancy — practical information about starting or continuing exercise during pregnancy.
- UK Chief Medical Officers – Physical activity for pregnant women — current UK recommendations for physical activity during pregnancy.
Medical note: This article contains general information about exercise during pregnancy rather than individual medical advice. Your own circumstances may affect which activities are appropriate during pregnancy, so follow advice from your midwife, GP, obstetric team or appropriately qualified physiotherapist.
