Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?

One of the biggest questions I get asked is: is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?

So, is it safe? The overall answer is yes and there are so many benefits, but there are some exceptions for when you should stop.

What are the benefits of exercising during pregnancy?

Improve sleep
Boost energy and mood
Ease back and pelvic pain
Improve muscle tone and strength
Reduce excessive weight gain
Increases blood flow and nutrients to baby
More comfortable pregnancy

Top tips for working out in pregnancy

Make sure you’re hydrated before, during and after exercise
Eat before exercising and have a snack handy in case you need it
Have plenty of rests to cool down, remove layers of clothing and have a window open if needed
Stay in an RPE (rate of perceived exhaustion) of 4-6 (think of 0 as relaxed on the sofa and 10 as finishing a marathon)
Do a talk test while you’re working out, you want to make sure you can still hold a conversation while exercising. If you can’t, you’re working a bit too hard and should slow it down or have a rest
Speak to a qualified specialist, either a pre & postnatal personal trainer or women’s health physio about what exercise is best for you
Follow a specific pregnancy exercise plan, everything will have been designed specifically for pregnancy and taken care for you!

When should you stop exercising?

Below you’ll find three lists of reasons why you should stop exercising and seek advice and/or clearance from your midwife or obstetrician before exercising. It’s really important to be aware of these and seek that advice if you have any of the following, everyone is there to help and support you to have the safest pregnancy.

Stop exercise

Contact a midwife and stop exercising

Vaginal bleeding
Dyspnoea before exertion
Dizziness
Headache
Chest pain
Muscle weakness
Calf pain or swelling (need to rule out thrombophlebitis)
Preterm labour
Decreased fetal movement
Amniotic fluid leakage

Contraindications

Don’t start exercising unless cleared by midwife or obstetrician

Haemodynamically significant heart disease
Restrictive lung disease
Incompetent cervix/cerclage
Multiple gestation at risk for premature labour
Persistent second or third trimester bleeding
Placenta praevia after 26 weeks gestation
Premature labour during the current pregnancy
Ruptured membranes
Pregnancy induced hypertension

Relative contradiction

Talk to your midwife before starting exercise

Severe anaemia
Unevaluated maternal cardiac arrhythmia
Chronic bronchitis
Poorly controlled type I diabetes
Extreme morbid obesity
Extreme underweight (body mass index <12)
History of extremely sedentary lifestyle
Intrauterine growth restriction in current pregnancy
Poorly controlled hypertension/pre-eclampsia
Orthopaedic limitations
Poorly controlled seizure disorder
Poorly controlled thyroid disease
Heavy smoker

How often should you check back?

Things can change throughout pregnancy so it’s worth checking back with these lists throughout so that you can be safe exercising. It may mean you are safe to exercise throughout, you may need to modify or you may need to stop exercising completely. The main thing is you and your baby are happy and healthy. Always take professional advice and remember they have your best interests at heart.

If you want to find out more about exercising during pregnancy you can download your free copy of my how-to safely adapt exercise during pregnancy guide here and know what to do trimester by trimester.

Lucy is a pre & postnatal corrective exercise specialist and mum. She is on a mission to empower, educate and inspire women during pregnancy and motherhood to feel fit, healthy and body confident.