Pregnancy
Exercise During Pregnancy: What's Safe, What to Avoid and Warning Signs
Exercise during pregnancy is safe and recommended for most people. ACOG advises at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week, about 30 minutes on most days, if your pregnancy is uncomplicated. Walking, swimming, stationary cycling, prenatal yoga and strength training are all good choices. Skip contact sports, anything where you could fall, scuba diving and overheating, and stop if you notice warning signs like bleeding or leaking fluid.
The most common question at the first prenatal visit isn't "can I exercise?" It's "can I keep doing my exercise?" For most people, the answer is yes, with adjustments.
Myth vs. fact
Myth: Exercise can cause a miscarriage. Fact: In a healthy pregnancy, exercise doesn't raise the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight or early delivery. Early losses are most often caused by chromosomal problems, not by your spin class.
Myth: Keep your heart rate under 140. Fact: Current ACOG guidance uses the "talk test" instead. Moderate intensity means you can talk, but not sing, while you're moving.
Myth: Pregnancy isn't the time to start working out. Fact: It's a fine time to start, as long as you start small: 10 to 15 minutes a day, building up gradually.
Myth: Lifting is off the table. Fact: Strength training is generally safe in an uncomplicated pregnancy. Use moderate weights and keep breathing; don't hold your breath while you strain.
What exercise actually does for you
Regular activity in pregnancy can:
- Lower the chance of gestational diabetes
- Help you gain a healthy amount of weight
- Ease back pain and constipation
- Improve sleep, mood and energy
- Strengthen your heart and blood vessels
- Help you recover more easily after birth
How much, and how hard
- Aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, spread over most days.
- Use the talk test. Talking is fine; belting out a song shouldn't be.
- New to exercise? Start with 10 to 15 minutes a day and add a few minutes each week.
- Already very active? You can usually keep going at a similar level with adjustments, after you talk it over with your provider.
What to keep doing
| Activity | Why it works | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Easy to start, low impact | Supportive shoes; watch your footing on uneven sidewalks |
| Swimming and water aerobics | Takes weight off joints; keeps you cool | No diving; enter the water carefully |
| Stationary cycling | Low fall risk | Raise the handlebars as your belly grows |
| Prenatal yoga and Pilates | Flexibility, breathing, strength | No hot classes; skip deep twists and long stretches flat on your back |
| Strength training | Supports posture and daily tasks | Moderate weights; don't hold your breath |
| Running or jogging | Fine for experienced runners | Adjust pace; stop if you feel pain or pressure |
| Low-impact aerobics or dance | Fun cardio | Skip balance-straining jumps late in pregnancy |
| Pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises | Helps bladder control | Can be done any time, even on the train |
What to set aside for now
- Contact sports: soccer, basketball, ice hockey, boxing
- High fall risk: downhill skiing, snowboarding, surfing, off-road cycling, horseback riding, gymnastics
- Scuba diving, because of decompression risks to the baby
- Skydiving
- Hot yoga or hot Pilates, and working out in very hot, humid weather
- High altitude (above about 6,000 feet) if you live at low altitude and aren't used to it
"Can I still lie on my back?"
After the first trimester, lying flat on your back can press on a large vein and reduce blood flow back to your heart, which can make you dizzy or lightheaded. Avoid long stretches flat. Prop yourself on a wedge, incline the bench, or do the move on your side or on hands and knees. If you wake up on your back at night, don't panic; just roll to your side.
Other changes you'll notice
- Your balance shifts as your belly grows. Pick stable surfaces and hold on to something when you need to.
- Your joints loosen because of pregnancy hormones. Skip deep, bouncing stretches.
- Drink water before, during and after, and wear breathable clothes.
- Avoid heavy straining or breath-holding, which raises pressure in your belly.
- A ridge down the middle of your belly when you sit up can be abdominal separation. Ask your provider about modifying core work.
Trimester by trimester
First trimester. Keep your usual routine if you feel well. Fatigue and morning sickness might mean shorter or gentler sessions, and that's fine. Many people find a short walk actually helps nausea. Stay hydrated and avoid overheating.
Second trimester. Many people feel their best now, so it's a good time to build a habit. Start modifying anything that has you flat on your back, and take more care with balance.
Third trimester. Slow down as needed. Walking, swimming, stationary cycling and prenatal yoga usually feel best. Two 15-minute walks may feel better than one 30-minute one.
A sample beginner week
If you weren't active before pregnancy, a gentle first week could look like:
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 15-minute brisk walk
- Tuesday and Thursday: 10 minutes of light strength work (wall push-ups, supported squats, side-lying leg lifts) plus pelvic floor exercises
- Saturday: a prenatal yoga or water aerobics class
- Sunday: rest or an easy walk
Add a few minutes each week until you reach about 150 minutes. Check with your provider first if you have any medical conditions.
Who needs to talk to their provider first
Some conditions make exercise unsafe or call for big changes. Ask before you exercise if you have:
- Certain heart or lung diseases
- A cerclage or cervical insufficiency
- Twins or more with risk of preterm labor
- Placenta previa after about 26 weeks
- Ongoing bleeding in the second or third trimester
- Preterm labor or ruptured membranes (water broken)
- Preeclampsia or gestational high blood pressure
- Severe anemia
Often the answer is lighter activity rather than none. With gestational diabetes, a walk after meals can actually help control blood sugar. For more, see our guide to high-risk pregnancy.
Staying active in New York
If you walk to the subway, climb station stairs and carry groceries up three flights, that counts toward your weekly total. A few local realities:
- Summer heat: go early in the morning, choose air-conditioned spaces, or swim. City and county pools and Y's often run lap swim and aqua classes.
- Winter ice: icy sidewalks and slick subway stairs are a real fall risk later in pregnancy. Use the handrail and give yourself extra time.
- Suburbs and upstate: if you drive everywhere on Long Island or in the Hudson Valley, a mall walk or a loop around a high school track can stand in for the city's built-in steps.
Many community centers and gyms across the five boroughs, Long Island and the Hudson Valley offer prenatal yoga and aqua classes. To talk through a plan with an OB/GYN, midwife or nurse practitioner, search the directory.
When to stop exercising and call your provider
Stop and call your provider if you have:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Fluid leaking from the vagina
- Regular, painful contractions
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Shortness of breath before you start exercising
- Chest pain
- A headache
- Muscle weakness that affects your balance
- Calf pain or swelling, which can be a sign of a blood clot
Call 911 for chest pain with trouble breathing, fainting, or heavy bleeding.
Frequently asked questions
How much exercise is recommended during pregnancy?
ACOG recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week for most pregnant people, such as 30 minutes on five days. If you're new to exercise, start slowly and build up.
Can I keep running while pregnant?
If you ran regularly before pregnancy and your pregnancy is uncomplicated, you can usually keep running, adjusting pace and distance as your body changes. Talk with your provider about your routine.
Is it safe to lift weights while pregnant?
Strength training is generally safe in an uncomplicated pregnancy. Use moderate weights, keep breathing (don't hold your breath while straining), and avoid lying flat on your back for long periods later in pregnancy.
What exercises should I avoid during pregnancy?
Skip contact sports, activities with a high risk of falling, scuba diving, skydiving, and hot yoga or hot Pilates. Avoid lying flat on your back for long stretches after the first trimester.
Sources
- ACOG — Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period (Committee Opinion 804)
- ACOG — Exercise During Pregnancy FAQ
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
- CDC — Physical Activity for Healthy Pregnant or Postpartum Women
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician who knows your history. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.