Life Kit - Don't stop exercising just because you're pregnant

Episode Date: August 4, 2026

Many people pause physical activity during pregnancy -- but research shows that exercising while pregnant is good for your health and your baby's health. If you're unsure which kinds of exercise are on the table, fear not. Life Kit reporter Andee Tagle takes you through the workout guidance for each trimester and how you can physically prepare for your due date.Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekitSign up for our newsletter here.Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at [e-mail] public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening and convenient playlists of popular help topics like personal finance, getting healthy, and more. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Hey, it's Mariel Segarra. You're listening to Life Kit. I have often wondered what pregnant women can actually do in terms of exercise. I got the idea that you're not supposed to lift heavy things or jump around too much, but then there are also women online doing CrossFit at nine months pregnant. Life Kit reporter Andy Tagle was confused about this during her pregnancy. I remember when I first found out I was pregnant, I had joined this boot camp gym. And I've been going pretty regularly, and it was really fun and really hard. But almost immediately after seeing that positive pregnancy test, I stopped going.

Wow. Yeah. Not because my doctor told me I couldn't. Not because I had read any research. I just seemed like maybe this isn't a good idea. What was your fear? That I might do something to hurt the baby, that like something might happen if I worked out. too hard, you know, like if I lifted too heavy or if, like, I exerted myself too much.

Her family was protective, too. And the idea wasn't just we have to protect the baby, but also we have to protect you. As soon as we started telling my family, I just felt like there was an immediate cushioning. Yeah. Cushinging, bordering on coddling. Like, oh, sit down. I got the dishes. You know, don't worry about that. Like, put your feet up. I was, it was so early on that I couldn't even see the doctor. Like, the doctor's, like, the doctor's wouldn't see me yet, but it was already like, take a load off was the messaging right away. Which is nice on the one hand, right? Because you probably get a little tired when you're pregnant. But it was like you are delicate now. But what Andy found in reporting this episode is that pregnant women are not delicate.

They can do a lot. And movement, exercise is great for them. It's probably not a big surprise now to hear that just like when you're not pregnant, a pregnant person's body. brain, heart benefits from movement. And actually, the recommendation is exactly the same for pregnant people as it is for everyone else. So 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week. But the most current research says only 10 to 15% of pregnant women actually follow that guidance. Yeah, this is most of what I hear from friends who are pregnant. They're like, I'll get to that after I give birth. Yeah, but research shows that exercising regularly throughout pregnancy does not increase your risk of having a miscarriage, of having a small baby, or of having an early baby.

So anyone out there who's like on the fence about keeping up that Pilates class or their strength training? Keep going. It's not just safe. It's highly recommended for your health and for babies. For starters, it can reduce pregnancy pain and make birth easier. I should note for the record that we are not offering medical advice here. You definitely want to check in with your doctor about what's best for your pregnancy. But we did talk to a lot of medical experts who have a lot of great tools to help keep you moving safely. After the break, how exercising can make pregnancy less painful and make birth easier. Also specific advice and exercises for each trimester.

Congratulations, Parent to Be. and welcome to your guide to what to expect from your workout when you're expecting. We're going to move through this one trimester at a time. To start, let's warm up your mindset. Maybe you're here because you're having trouble getting motivated. That makes sense. In the first trimester, many women experience fatigue, and that's a very normal part of the first trimester.

People want to maybe sleep all the time. This is Dr. Anna Sapine, an OB-GYN, and OB-GYN. and Director of Community Women's Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The advice I always say is to listen to your body, right? Like if something feels like it's too strenuous, it's really impossible to do, then that's your body telling you to do that, and so you should listen to your cues. Takeaway one. New to this? Not feeling great. Start low, go slow, but keep at it.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete or you've never stepped foot inside a gym, the beginning of being pregnant can pack a punch, to say the least. So if you're not already active, but you want to try for that 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise five times a week. Maybe work up to that, so doing maybe like 10 minutes at a time and working your way up. Now, if you are a gym regular and you're rearing to go, but you've just been feeling wiped. Listen, this is your first lesson in the first trimester of mom lunch. And it's like you got to change your mindset and your expectation. Crystal Howald is a women's health physical therapist, as well as the co-owner of expecting and empowered.

A platform designed specifically for pregnancy and postpartum workouts. I just got my workout in myself. So that's why I have this wet hair. But you always got to prioritize that fitness, you know? As a mom of three herself, she fully understands just how hard it can be when the first trimester puts you on your heels. So if you go for a walk because you're feeling sick, that's a win. Chalk it up. If you only feel like doing some flexibility and gentle movement because you feel like you're going to barf, chalk it up. Because even small, regular efforts to stay active can make a difference during pregnancy and postpartum especially. We saw a 40% reduction in the odds of developing preclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes.

I'm guessing you're familiar with these. three because there are major pregnancy complications that your doctor likely already has or will be screening you for. Each can pose a serious or even life-threatening risk to both mom and baby. So I talked to Margie Davenport about this. She's a researcher at the University of Alberta and Canada who focuses on the effects of exercise before, during, and after pregnancy. She says the benefits of exercising during pregnancy don't just stop with you. Babies with active moms have a lower risk of obesity and diabetes down the road, for instance? Their babies have slightly stronger cardiovascular systems.

Baby brain activity in the month postpartum is a little bit higher. So in this early stage of pregnancy, resolve to fit in movement how and where and when you can. Maybe get off one stop earlier and walk, you know, get in some more steps. Try to find a way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. I know what you want to know next. What's the perfect pregnancy exercise routine, right? Well, there's a short answer and a long answer. Short version? There is no one best way to exercise. I would say that the best form of activity is the one that you're going to enjoy and do and, you know, maintain during pregnancy. So if you're 12 weeks in and waking up every day, still feeling jazzed about that morning jog, don't feel the need.

to reinvent the wheel. There's very little that you shouldn't do in pregnancy, barring a complication in pregnancy where we are asking or recommending that you restrict exercise, then it's probably fine to continue what you were doing. The longer answer is your body is going to do a lot of changing over the next several months. And the best workout will adapt accordingly. Takeaway two. You don't have to feel this way.

workouts early on that can help prevent pain down the line. Heartburn, acne, constipation, nosebleeds, leg cramps, itchiness all over. As your first trimester progresses, so too does the unique parade of new body pains and surprising bodily functions that can often spur the phrase, is that supposed to be doing that? I wish that people knew that a lot of things are preventable during pregnancy. As your body grows and shifts, Crystal says, Your body's different internal pressure systems can get thrown off, causing pain or problems in areas where pressure is unevenly distributed. Sciatica, for instance, can happen when the uterus puts too much pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Or maybe you're dealing with hemorrhoids. Too much pressure in the pelvic floor region. But by building balance and strength in a few key areas of the body, you can alleviate or maybe even prevent some common pregnancy aches and pains. So let's walk through a few ways to do that. We'll start with what Crystal calls a triple B breath. You're going to breathe in through your nose, then down your back and into your bra line.

All the way down into your butt, that's the third B. So almost think about yourself being like a tiger. Instead of the tail being tucked, think about lifting the tail out from behind you with your breath. In addition to being a useful tool for calming, down your nervous system, the triple B is great for a warm up because it hits a lot of the areas that need your attention throughout your pregnancy. Your back, chest, core, hips, and pelvic floor. These areas, you're going to want to work out regularly. Now, what will that look like exactly?

There's no official guidance on this and check in with your doctor, of course. But Crystal, very generously, gave us some ideas on what an exercise plan throughout your pregnancy might look like. Let's start with a big picture overview first. She suggests incorporating some sort of flexibility or stretching daily, plus one to two days of focused work, like Pilates or yoga. That can help prep your body for delivery. Aim for one cardio workout per week and three strength workouts per week because of that aforementioned instability and imbalance. During those strength workouts, you might focus on one or two areas of the body on a rotating basis, say 15 to 30 minutes at a time to start. So maybe you do back and chest on Mondays,

hips core, pelvic floor on Wednesdays. If you don't already have a routine, you can just pick a few favorites from the exercises in this episode and plan to do a few rounds of between 10 to 20 reps of each exercise at a time. Ease up on the weights as your pregnancy progresses, or as your body needs. Now, in the first trimester specifically, Crystal says, I'm starting to think about adding that lateral hip movement. I'm starting to think about really reconnecting to my core. For your hips, you could try side-lying leg lifts,

banded walk, side-to-side, lateral lunges, or glute bridges. Trust me, your third trimester self will thank you for all of those. You know that very distinctive wattle walk of the deeply pregnant? When we start to waddle, it means that our feet are slowly like drifting outwards. When our feet drift outwards, our hips are actually rotating outwards too. What that means is they've lost some of their lateral hip control. That's why I'm also obsessed with it in the beginning of the first and second trimester, trying to get side-to-side movements.

For your core, go for bear crawls. side planks or bird dogs. That's the one where you start in a tabletop position and then reach out opposite arms and legs, or dead bugs, which is essentially the same exercise just on your back. These are all going to target your deep core muscles. The transverse abdominis it's called,

it's like your own personal pair of spanks. So we want to learn how to use the spanks if we can. If I have great abdominal control, one of the things I might not have is what's called pubic synthesis pain. better known as SPD or Lightning Crutch. The name is unfortunate, I know, but also appropriate. When that belly expands, there's going to be a lot more pressure on the front of the bone,

but all of that pressure that's moving forward, preventable. You know, like working on my handstring strength is also going to help tilt my pelvis back, get it into nice neutral position, preventable. So it's going to reduce aches and pains. like that, it's also going to reduce complications during labor and delivery. If you're looking for more structure, more cardio, or both, bar, Zumba, or other dance-based workouts might be a good place to start. Any standard Pilates or yoga class is also sure to cover everything on Crystal's list. Just make sure you don't end up in any heated or aerial silk

type classes to best protect that tiny growing bump. Speaking of safety, general guidelines are pretty straightforward. You follow the same basic best practices as you would when not pregnant. Stay well hydrated, make sure you're not going to overheat, wear supportive clothing, and the same goes for when you should worry. I think that warning signs that are true for everyone who is exercising, you know, if you are feeling very short of breath, if you're having chest pain, if you're feeling dizzy, those are cues to stop what you're doing. When it comes to pregnancy-specific symptoms? you start to feel like you're having contractions, if you develop spotting, call your doctor. Okay, those recommendations are helpful, but surprisingly broad. Are you sure there's nothing else

we should be staying away from, Doc? Make sure that you're not doing things where there is a risk for direct abdominal trauma, right? So things like boxing is probably not a good idea. There's that opportunity for direct abdominal trauma. Of course. That's a no-brainer. Well, actually, we are changing again the way that we think about most of these things. So you probably shouldn't go and be in a full-out match. But that doesn't mean that you can't be hitting a bag, right? So you can do modified activity that's going to be lower risk.

And that rule goes for a lot of other physical activities too. Be discerning, of course. avoid extreme pressure and temperatures, anything with extreme in the name, really. Contact sports or any activity where falling is likely. Plus, lying flat on your back for long periods of time, especially in the third trimester. But you have more room to move than a lot of people think. What has sort of been traditionally recommended is to avoid heavy weightlifting in pregnancy. So some people are told don't lift over 10 pounds, don't lift over 20 pounds.

Well, you kind of get into a bit of a pickle after you deliver because you walk out of the hospital or wherever and you have this lovely little, say, seven pound baby and I don't know, it feels like 50 pound car seat to go with it. And so there's no reason to stop resistance training during pregnancy. Strength training as that belly starts to pop. That's where we're headed after the break. You're listening to Life Kit and it's time. for takeaway three. Keep building your strength as your belly grows. All right, we're going to cover a lot of ground quickly in this takeaway because the second trimester is honestly golden, golden trimester. Once you turn the corner on week 14 or shortly thereafter, you're hopefully feeling better, brighter,

and more energized. As you regain your vitality, Crystal says build on that momentum in your workout, particularly when it comes to resistance training. So this is when I really, though, start to think about my upper back and tension here. Most women will have peck weakness, so their peck start to get really tense. That's when you start to see that slump position because I can't hold myself upright. I want collarbones to be like nice and wide. Working with your body weight, go for incline or wall push-ups. You could try any or all types of.

of rows with free weights, and at the gym, head to the seated chest press or try some standing cable flies with a wide stance that can safely accommodate that growing bump. From there, I want to work on my postural muscles so that my trunk can stay stacked over my pelvis. And again, this is going to help the pelvic floor. Postural muscles are constantly working to help keep you balanced and upright. It's a big group, But generally, your neck, back, core, hip, and leg muscles are all included. And the stronger they are, the better aligned you'll be, the more you can protect yourself against things like the all-over-back pain

that can really start to come calling as that fetus grows. So next up, let's move on to training those hamstrings, which can really support your fast-changing center of gravity. That could look like lateral lunges or sumo squats, That wider stance might just be comfier for you now. For free weights, one of Crystal's favorites is a variation on Romanian deadlifts. Where you're bringing the opposite arm across to the opposite leg, but loading it. Start in a standing position with weight in one hand, then hinge at your hip with back straight and knees slightly bent.

Bring that weight down to the opposite foot, then hinge back up and switch sides. Now, if just listening to that description felt complicated, you could opt instead for leg presses or the hip abduction adduction machines at the gym. Aim for moderate resistance, meaning you should be able to have a conversation while you exercise. A final area of note in your second trimester. That diaphragm. I'm thinking about keeping space for the diaphragm, so I'm thinking about flexibility through my spine, loading it. And then I'm also thinking about breathing in that area is really important. A mermaid stretch is a fun one to try.

Sit on the ground with knees bent and feet folded to the right. As you inhale, raise your left arm to the sky with your right arm on the ground for support. As you exhale, bend your torso to the right. Hold for four breaths. You should feel the stretch on your left side. You also want to keep going with deep core exercises. to help combat diastasis recti. That's when your ab muscle separate from stretching during pregnancy.

Heel slides are a popular recommendation in this category, as are those bird dogs from earlier. Because I'm getting the opposite side, opposite arm, opposite leg, keeping that back what's called a posterior chain active as long as we can. The bigger that belly, of course, the more discomfort you're likely to feel, the harder it might be to pick up those weights. So let's move on to how to keep moving. in your third trimester.

When you make it to that home stretch, first of all, just give yourself a pat on the back. Then, try to build and movement in your day that might relieve it some. Just trying to create space and take the load off the back is really what the job would be. For starters, returning to that triple B breath can help massage the muscles along your neck and spine. Keeping up your cardio, at least walking, and strength training, or at least gentle stretching and flexibility might feel like way more of a chore as the weeks go by, but could also serve as a very necessary mood booster around this time. Another somewhat strengthening practice that can offer a lot of relief.

During the third trimester, dude, just give that baby a hug all the time. Put your back up against the wall, like that song, put your back against the wall, and then lift the baby. That'll temporarily take the pressure off of your lower back and your spine. and can help you reconnect with your core while creating some blessed space around your hip joints. One last recommendation, swimming, can offer not only exercise, but pain relief and needed relaxation. Because as you get closer to your due date, your objective changes. The overall goal is not how strong can I get in that last trimester. It's stretching the pelvic floor and also am I clear on how to look at?

let go and push through the pelvic floor without tightening it. This is Janelle Frederick. On the social media streets, I'm known as vagina rehab doctor. She's a pelvic floor physical therapist who works primarily with women who are struggling with pelvic pain and painful intimacy. Which is really common during and after pregnancy, actually. She says in the third trimester, your focus is less on exercising for pain relief and more on movement to help you have a successful delivery.

That's no small thing. You know, giving birth is the Olympics for the pelvic floor. We use our pelvic floor all the time, but we don't use it to that extent when we are pregnant and giving birth. Last up, takeaway four. Pregnancy and birth are the pelvic floor Olympics. Train accordingly. All right, we've made it. We're knocking on your delivery date store.

Time to prepare that pelvic floor. Now, I know we've talked about this a few times on the show, before, but Janelle, please remind me, what exactly is the pelvic floor again? It's a group of muscles that sits at the base of your pelvis. And so these are the muscles that open and relax when you're ready to pee and poop. They're the muscles that need to open and get out of the way when it's time for the baby to come through that birth canal. And so the pelvic floor is crucial to your overall confidence, your daily activity, and especially pregnancy and postpartum, managing that period well. So clearly your pelvic floor is,

is the star of this show. Let's make sure you can treat yours right. Janelle says people often assume these muscles are weak, when in reality, they're really just carrying too much in their bodies. Like, if you feel tense during the day, your vagina's probably tense too. Our top recommendation here,

find a pelvic floor PT of your own to get evaluated at any point in your pregnancy, or even preconception. It's a good idea in general for your reproduct. effective health. One in four women will experience a pelvic floor disorder in her lifetime. But if you don't have access to a PT just yet, there are a lot of simple exercises you can start with. So pelvic floor stretches are things like happy baby, child's pose, cat cow, diaphragmatic breathing. From there, Janelle has an exercise she recommends that isn't,

strictly speaking, a workout, but is most definitely a stretch in the most literal sense of the word. It's called perineal stretching. The perineum, for anyone unfamiliar, is a small section of skin and tissue between the vagina and the anus. And when you give birth, the muscle that generally tears is this muscle right here. See, if you deliver vaginally, this area can stretch by up to 300% its normal size, which sometimes, like roughly 50 to 80% of the time, according to the most recent research, can cause the skin to tear to varying degrees. I know that sounds scary.

The good news? The perineum contains muscles. Just like any other muscle, you can strengthen it, you can stretch it, you can train it. So in your last trimester, Janelle suggests a regular practice of perineal stretching in addition to pelvic floor stretches to best prep for the big day. That's a perfect time to start training those muscles to stretch and accommodate the size of the baby's head. We don't want to have a prolonged stage of labor when we're pushing for so long. That's a lot of strain on the pelvic floor.

And then we want to try and limit our chances of tearing. If we can't limit it completely, maybe we can limit a grade three and grade four tear and have a low grade tear, which heals way quicker and there's less pain and all that involved. Now, to be clear, this practice isn't a guarantee. And actually, the science is a bit mixed on effectiveness. But it's not likely to do any harm, and it's, Kind of the only exercise out there that may be able to offer you some relief from this. And it's really simple to do.

First, you'll want to be in a seated position or lying down with back support, legs wide, and knees bent. You can use your finger and literally with some lubricant, of course, wash your hands, cut your nails. Stretch it out. There's no one agreed upon method for this, but Janelle's recommendation is to gently insert one thumb into your vagina, about an inch or an inch and a half deep. That's about your first knuckle, and then press and hold on the back wall of your vagina towards your anus with moderate pressure. Because it needs to stretch downward.

They're trying to actually open the tissue more. Practice this one to two times a week, working up to five minutes at a time. But again, there are lots of other ways to do this online. Tools you can use variations in duration and hand placement, even instructions for including a partner. Whichever method you choose, when the time comes, don't forget a cool-down period is a necessary part of any good exercise regimen. Go slow and understanding with your body,

you're recovering from the pelvic floor Olympics, and get back to your activity and even think about, like, what type of support do you need? Is it someone to help you with your diet? Is it someone to help you with your mental health, I look for therapy after giving birth, I think should be mandatory, actually. Now, there's a lot more we could say on this topic, but we've already run down the clock. So I'll leave you with some interesting research from Margie about exercise after giving birth.

We actually found that contrary to what sort of our general idea has been to, you know, rest, relax, take it easy, especially after a cesarean section, that early movements, and mobilization is actually quite beneficial for recovery and healing. We should say here, mobilization is a relative term. We're talking about a slow shuffle, maybe 3,000 steps in those earliest days. So start low, go slow, still very much applies postpartum. You want to rebuild those foundations, but don't be scared to continue to embrace movement as medicine, especially if you're having a hard time. There's people who they're just like really struggling with the transition from pregnancy to postpartum.

And going up for a walk or going up for a run is actually what helps them to maintain their identity and feel a bit more like themselves. Okay, team, let's recap. Takeaway one. It's worth it to exercise regularly during pregnancy. Or at least to try. Start low, go slow, but keep at it. Take way two. It's possible to prevent or alleviate some pregnancy pain and discomfort.

You just have to be strategic with your workouts. Takeaway three. Stick to strength training. You and your little one will thank you for it later. And takeaway four, pay close attention to your pelvic floor for the healthiest delivery and postpartum possible. That was reporter Andy Tagle. And that's our show. This episode of Life Kit was produced by Margaret Serino.

Our digital editor is Malika Garib and our visuals editor is C.J. Rican Cain is our senior supervising editor and Lauren Gonzalez is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Claire Marie Schneider and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Jimmy Keely. Fact-checking by Andrea Lopez-Cruzado. I'm Ariel Cigara. Thanks for listening.