Can You Do Intense Exercise While Pregnant?
Pilates, dance, weight lifting… I honestly thought all of it would have to stop the moment I found out I was pregnant with my first son. Becoming a mom was something I deeply wanted, so I was ready to make sacrifices. But if I’m being completely honest, I was scared. Scared of what pregnancy would do to my body. Scared of losing my strength. Scared of stepping away from the movement practices that made me feel like me. Would I gain a ton of weight? Lose my dancing rhythm? Watch all those hard-earned strength gains disappear?
And of course, everyone around me had an opinion. When my parents heard the news, they immediately told me to stop running and to give up Bharatanatyam, my classical dance practice. They said it was too “intense” and could harm the baby. Hearing that from people I love made the idea of stopping even harder to swallow.
I felt completely lost. I had no idea what was actually safe and what was just fear talking. So, like any millennial nerd with a Wi-Fi connection, I dove headfirst into research. I combed through official pregnancy exercise guidelines, listened to podcast episodes from fit moms who had been through it, and tried to piece together what the truth really was.
What I found surprised me. Exercise — even intense exercise — can be not only safe during pregnancy but incredibly beneficial. There are just some smart precautions to keep in mind.
In this post, I’ll walk you through what I learned: the official guidelines from different countries, why the “no intense exercise” advice is outdated, and what to consider if you want to keep training while growing a baby.
Let’s get into it.
Pregnancy Exercise Guidelines From Around the World
I wasn’t the only one asking what’s safe when it comes to movement during pregnancy. Turns out, plenty of countries have already done the homework. Nations like Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States have all released their own exercise guidelines for pregnant women.
A remarkable paper published in 2014 summarizes all these guidelines. In the following section, we’ll provide a concise overview of what each guideline entails.
1) Exercise during pregnancy is a great thing
Every single country with official guidelines agrees on one thing: moving your body during pregnancy is a very good idea. Exercise during pregnancy comes with a long list of benefits for both mom and baby.
It can lower the risk of gestational diabetes, excessive weight gain, preeclampsia, preterm birth, varicose veins, lower back pain, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, and deep vein thrombosis. It can even help make labor easier by shortening its duration, lowering the risk of complications, and reducing the chances of needing a C-section. Beyond the physical benefits thought, exercise during pregnancy can also help with the fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression that can mentally hit us hard during pregnancy.
2) Some women with pregnancy complications should avoid or restrict exercise
There are a few situations where exercising during pregnancy isn’t the best idea. In some cases, it can be unsafe altogether. In others, it’s less black and white.
Below is a table that outlines the conditions where exercise is either not recommended (“absolute contraindications”) or where the risks may outweigh the benefits (“relative contraindications”).
Note: Absolute contraindications mean exercise should be avoided. Relative contraindications mean you should work closely with your healthcare provider to assess what’s safe for your body and your baby.
3) Activities pregnant women should avoid
Next, the guidelines outlined activities that a pregnant woman should avoid or limit. As you can see, each country had differing opinions on what types of exercises to avoid.
4) Exercises pregnant women can do
Next, the countries listed exercises that are safe for women to perform:
5) When to stop exercise
Finally, some countries listed signs and symptoms indicating when to stop exercising during pregnancy.
So wait… can pregnant women do intense exercise?
If we go solely off these guidelines, we are left without a good answer. All of the guidelines encouraged moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy. Moreover, all of them ruled-out sports involving either risks of falls, trauma, or collisions during pregnancy. But when it comes to intense exercise, the advice gets murky. Some say to avoid it altogether. Others say it’s fine if you were already training that way before getting pregnant. The truth is, these mixed messages come from a lack of solid research on intense exercise during pregnancy, not from clear evidence that it’s unsafe.
The good news is that this has started to change. Over the past decade, research has grown, and the picture is a lot clearer now. Intense exercise is not only safe for many pregnant women, but it can actually be beneficial.
Scientific Evidence Shows Intense Exercise During Pregnancy Is Fine To Do
The research on intense exercise during pregnancy has exploded over the last decade. The findings are surprisingly clear: For healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies, intense workouts are safe. Here is a summary of a few studies that stood out:
- Yu H., et al (2022): Sixty-nine women between 17 and 27 weeks pregnant were split into a HIIT group and an education-only group. After eight weeks, the women who did HIIT maintained or improved their anaerobic threshold and reduced their body fat by about 30%. The women in the education group saw their fitness decline and no changes in body composition.
- Wowdzia, J.B., et al (2023): Fifteen pregnant women completed both a HIIT session and a moderate-intensity session. Researchers tracked heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow in the brain. There were no differences between the two workouts, showing that intense exercise was well tolerated.
- Wowdzia J.B., et al (2022): In another study, twenty-four women compared HIIT with moderate exercise over a week. Blood sugar levels stayed stable in both groups, but the HIIT group reported almost an hour more sleep and greater enjoyment.
- Beetham KS., et al (2019): A systematic review of 13 studies found no difference in birth weight between babies of women who did intense exercise and those who did not. Intense exercise was linked to a slightly longer gestation and a lower risk of preterm labor.
- Szymanski LM., et al (2012): Forty-five women underwent a peak treadmill test late in pregnancy. Measures of fetal well-being remained normal before and after exercise. A few highly active women had short, mild changes in fetal heart rate and blood flow that quickly returned to baseline.
- Kardel KR., et al (2005): Forty-one competitive athletes continued high-volume training through pregnancy. Those who trained intensely benefited physically, recovered more quickly postpartum, and returned to sport faster without complications.
- Anderson, J., et al (2021): Fourteen women performed high-intensity resistance training in the third trimester. Fetal well-being remained stable, and no adverse effects were reported.
In short, research supports the idea that intense workouts are safe and beneficial for pregnant women. Studies show that HIIT can help maintain or improve anaerobic threshold, reduce body fat, and promote better sleep quality. Additionally, there is no significant difference in fetal growth when comparing mothers who engage in intense exercise versus those who don’t. Moreover, certain studies highlight the benefits of vigorous exercise for competitive athletes during pregnancy, allowing them to return to their sport more quickly postpartum. In fact, the latest guidelines from American College of Obstetricians (ACOG) even removed heart rate guidelines for exercise during pregnant, and this is likely because of the latest research showing no adverse effects from intense exercise.
In short, intense exercise during pregnancy is not only safe but also advantageous for women with healthy pregnancies.
But… There Are Some Caveats
Even though intense exercise can be perfectly safe during pregnancy, it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. Every woman’s body and pregnancy are different. A few important things to keep in mind:
1) If you’re uncomfortable, don’t do it.
Some women just don’t feel comfortable doing intense workouts while pregnant. And that’s completely valid. You don’t have to train hard to have a healthy pregnancy or get the benefits of movement. A daily walk alone can make a huge difference!
If you want to move a little more but keep things moderate, Pilates, strength training, or prenatal yoga are all great options. Your heart rate will climb, but not to the point where it feels like you’re maxing out.
2) Don’t go overboard.
Just because research says that high-intensity exercise is fine doesn’t mean you should push yourself to the limit. Instead, choose one high-intensity exercise you enjoy and do it a few times a week. Keep the rest of your exercise program at moderate or low intensity. Blood volume and cardiac output increase by ~50% in the second trimester and third trimester, so you will feel tired more quickly and have a limit of what you can and are willing to do.
For instance, I continued practicing Bharatanatyam during my pregnancy, which I consider a strenuous exercise.
However, I eliminated sprinting and other forms of HIIT, replacing them with Pilates and walking. Additionally, I continued strength training, but I didn’t try to hit PRs. My sole objective was to maintain my strength, so I could resume building on it postpartum.
3) If you have a high risk pregnancy, talk to your health care provider.
All the studies mentioned above were based uncomplicated pregnancies. If you have a pregnancy complication, consult with your doctor or midwife who can tell you what types of exercises to do and what to avoid.
4) Understand what movements to avoid.
While intense exercise can be safe, there are certain positions and activities that aren’t recommended during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) offers some clear guidelines on what to avoid, and they make good sense once you understand the “why” behind them.
- Lying flat on back for prolonged periods of time. This can put pressure on the inferior vena cava and reduce blood flow to the uterus. A simple fix is to prop a bolster or pillow under your shoulders to create a slight incline. That small elevation makes a big difference.
- Lying on your belly, After the first trimester, lying on your stomach just isn’t comfortable or practical anymore. Just avoid belly-down positions altogether.
- Activities with a high risk of falls.. Sports like downhill skiing, water skiing, surfing, off-road cycling, gymnastics, or horseback riding are too risky because of the higher risk of falling. Save these for after the baby.
- Contact sports and collision risks. Activities like soccer, basketball, or combat sports can accidentally lead to direct trauma to the belly, which is why they’re on the no-go list.
- Overheating. Sweating is fine! It’s actually how your body keeps you cool. But overheating is not. Hot tubs, saunas, or any environment where you feel your body overheating is a no-go*.
- Warning signs to watch for. If you notice bleeding, pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or anything that feels “off,” stop immediately.
*Note: A quick note on hot yoga, because I know someone will ask. ACOG recommends avoiding it due to the risk of overheating. Personally, I practiced hot yoga throughout my first pregnancy without issues, and I know plenty of other hot yoga lovers who did the same. The key is that during class, your body can sweat and regulate its temperature. That said, everyone is different. If you’re not used to hot yoga or you tend to overheat easily, please skip it.
6) Focus on your nutrition
Intense exercise uses up a lot of energy. If you’re training hard during pregnancy, you have to make sure you’re fueling your body properly. Not just for the workout, but for your growing baby too. This is not the time to be skimping on calories or nutrients because it can have serious consequences for both of you. This is the time to nourish and pamper yourself. Think of food as the support system that makes those workouts possible.
7) Listen to your body
This might be the most important piece of all. Your body is incredibly wise, and it will tell you when something is too much. Pay close attention to any signals it gives you. Symptoms like vaginal bleeding, amniotic fluid leakage, dizziness, headaches, pelvic or abdominal pain, chest pain, or unusual shortness of breath are clear signs to stop.
Ego has no place in pregnancy training. If your body is asking for rest, honor that. Sometimes that means skipping a workout altogether, and that’s okay. Every pregnancy is different, and only your body can tell you how much intensity it can handle. Trust it.
Conclusion
I hope this post eased some of your nerves around intense exercise during pregnancy. There’s so much fear woven into the way society talks about pregnant women…. as if we’re fragile, breakable, and need to be wrapped in bubble wrap the moment we conceive. Our bodies are far more capable than most people give them credit for.
Pregnancy doesn’t have to mean giving up intense exercise if that is what you enjoy. Rather than listening to other people, listen to your body. Your body will always tell you when something isn’t right. If you’re tuned in and willing to listen, you can trust those signals. There’s no reason to hold back from moving in a way that lights you up if you feel good doing it.
