Exercising while Pregnant
I have always been passionate about running, but when I started planning to have a family, I became nervous that my running would be sidelined due to the changes my body would endure during pregnancy. To my delight, my obstetrician recommended continuing to exercise as I did prior to pregnancy and as tolerated. After doing more research, I discovered that exercising during pregnancy offers a wide range of physical as well as emotional benefits. Exercising during pregnancy with the supervision and clearance from your obstetrician can lead to fewer risk factors during childbirth and can even improve the health of the baby.
According to a meta-analysis, exercise during pregnancy reduces the risk of obesity in the mother; therefore, reducing the risk of oversized babies, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, low back pain, pelvic girdle pain, urinary incontinence, and even stillbirth. Aerobic exercise can also reduce the risk of deep venous thrombosis. The research recommends 150 minutes per week of cardiovascular exercise with a heart rate of 110 to 120 beats per minute to help ensure these health benefits. Cardiovascular exercise includes walking, running, biking, swimming, yoga, the elliptical, or stair steppers. It is important for women to be aware that they should perform only safe exercises, avoiding the risk of falls and contact sports to prevent any trauma to the baby or placenta. Also, when performing aerobic exercise, it is important that women do not overheat, stay hydrated, and avoid low blood sugar.
Despite the great benefits of exercise, it is common for most women to experience pain and/or orthopedic injuries due to the changes in the body, ultimately reducing their activity levels. If we know exercise is so valuable during pregnancy, it is important, as physical therapists, to help manage women’s injuries and minimize pain during pregnancy to allow them to maximize physical activity. According to Wyatt et al., pelvic, sacroiliac joint, low back, abdominal, breast, and hip pain are most common during pregnancy. These areas are prevalent sites of injury during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and shifts in the center of gravity as the baby grows. Hormonal changes cause ligamentous laxity, increasing joint instability in the pelvis, sacroiliac joints, and lumbar spine, causing symptoms in the lower extremities and low back. In addition, weight gain and lengthening of the uterus weaken the abdominal musculature, decreasing core stability and therefore increasing low back pain and causing other compensatory strategies, which can lead to musculoskeletal conditions.
Although we can’t alter the inevitable growth or hormonal changes that occur over the forty weeks, we can try to avoid weakening of the musculature through strengthening and stabilization exercises. According to Leung et al., other treatments that help mitigate these injuries include pelvic or sacroiliac belts. They provide support to the lower abdomen, which helps support the anterior aspect of the lower trunk to reduce strain on the lower back and hips. In addition, the belts provide proprioception to the lower abdominal muscles to help ensure recruitment, especially when running or performing other cardiovascular exercise. Other therapies, including acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic manipulation, and yoga, have been used to help treat common musculoskeletal conditions.
In conclusion, exercising while pregnant is recommended for women that were previously active and does have health benefits to the mother and baby. To avoid injury and help increase the ability to perform aerobic exercise, women should perform core stabilization, postural strengthening, and hip strengthening exercises under the supervision of a physical therapist. The physical therapist will ensure proper form and safe positions as they progress throughout pregnancy to avoid any contraindications.
Cooper DB, Yang L. Pregnancy And Exercise. [Updated 2023 Apr 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430821/
Du MC, Ouyang YQ, Nie XF, Huang Y, Redding SR. Effects of physical exercise during pregnancy on maternal and infant outcomes in overweight and obese pregnant women: A meta-analysis. Birth. 2019 Jun;46(2):211-221.
Wyatt HE, Sheerin K, Hume PA, Hébert-Losier K. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Pain when Running During Pregnancy: A Survey of 3102 Women. Sports Med. 2024 Jul;54(7):1955-1964. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-01994-6. Epub 2024 Feb 6. PMID: 38319589; PMCID: PMC11258093.
Leung CJ, Tao F, Senter C, Ramirez FD, Wong SE. Pregnancy-Related Hip and Pelvis Musculoskeletal Conditions, Risk Factors, and Prevention. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2025 Dec;18(12):585-598. doi: 10.1007/s12178-025-09991-6. Epub 2025 Aug 19. PMID: 40828492; PMCID: PMC12446167. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12178-025-09991-6