For most healthy people with uncomplicated pregnancies, regular physical activity is safe and beneficial. The right plan depends on your health, pregnancy, previous activity level, symptoms, and guidance from your maternity-care professional.
How much activity is generally recommended?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week for healthy pregnant people. That time can be divided into smaller sessions throughout the week.
Moderate intensity usually means you are breathing harder but can still hold a conversation. If you were inactive before pregnancy, begin gradually. If you were already highly active, discuss appropriate adjustments with your obstetric clinician.
Potential benefits
Regular activity may improve overall fitness, ease back pain and constipation, support healthy pregnancy weight gain, and reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. It may also support mood and sleep. Benefits vary, and exercise does not guarantee a particular labor, delivery, or recovery outcome.
Activities commonly considered lower risk
- Brisk walking
- Swimming and water exercise
- Stationary cycling
- Modified prenatal yoga or Pilates
- Clinician-approved strength training with appropriate technique and load
Choose activities that match your experience and changing balance. Avoid contact sports, activities with a high risk of falling or abdominal impact, scuba diving, hot yoga or hot Pilates, and other activities your clinician advises against.
Exercise more comfortably and safely
- Drink water before, during, and after activity.
- Avoid overheating and very hot or humid environments.
- Wear supportive footwear and clothing.
- Reduce intensity or modify movements as balance and comfort change.
- Avoid long periods lying flat on your back later in pregnancy.
- Use the talk test rather than relying only on a fixed heart-rate target.
When to stop and call your clinician
Stop exercising and contact your obstetric-care professional if you experience vaginal bleeding, dizziness or faintness, chest pain, headache, shortness of breath before activity, painful regular contractions, fluid leaking from the vagina, muscle weakness that affects balance, or calf pain or swelling. Seek emergency care when symptoms are severe or urgent.
Start with an individualized conversation
Discuss physical activity early in prenatal care, particularly if you have pregnancy complications, a chronic medical condition, significant pain, or uncertainty about what is appropriate. Your care team can help you decide whether to begin, continue, or modify an activity.
This article provides general education and is not a personalized exercise prescription or substitute for prenatal medical care.
