This post is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy is different — get your exercise plan cleared by your OB or midwife, especially if you have any pregnancy complications. This post may contain affiliate links — see our Affiliate Disclosure for details.
The General Rule
ACOG recommends about 20–30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most or all days of the week for most pregnant people, assuming no complications. A simple gauge is the “talk test”: if you can hold a conversation while exercising, you’re at a reasonable intensity. If you were already active before pregnancy, you can generally continue at a similar level with the modifications below. If you were sedentary, ease in gradually rather than starting hard.
Across All Trimesters: What to Avoid
- Contact sports and high fall-risk activities (skiing, horseback riding, gymnastics, surfing)
- Scuba diving
- Hot yoga, hot Pilates, or any exercise in a non-temperature-controlled hot environment
- Exercise at altitude if you’re not already acclimated
Stop and call your provider if you experience vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, painful contractions, calf pain or swelling, dizziness, chest pain, or fluid leaking.
First Trimester
Most standard exercise is fine here, but nausea and fatigue often dictate more than anything else. Walking, prenatal yoga, swimming, and stationary cycling are all good low-risk options. If you’re feeling well and were already doing strength training, you can generally keep going — just avoid lying flat on your stomach as your belly grows and skip any new activity with a real fall or contact risk.
Second Trimester
Your center of gravity is shifting, so balance-dependent moves get riskier — this is when a lot of people modify or drop single-leg balance work and anything with a real tipping risk. This is also the point where most guidance suggests avoiding extended time lying flat on your back, since the weight of the uterus can compress a major vein and reduce blood flow. Swap flat-back exercises for inclined, side-lying, or standing versions of the same movement.
Third Trimester
Continue avoiding supine (flat-on-back) positions, and expect to naturally scale back intensity as your belly and joint laxity increase — relaxin loosens ligaments throughout your body, which can make some movements feel less stable than they used to. Walking, prenatal yoga, swimming, and light strength work with good form remain solid choices. This is also a good phase to start incorporating pelvic floor and breathing work that will directly support labor and postpartum recovery, rather than focusing purely on strength or cardio output.
Bottom Line
For most healthy pregnancies, staying active is genuinely protective — it’s linked to lower rates of gestational diabetes, hypertension, and even postpartum depression. The specifics matter less than consistency and listening to your body: dial back positions and intensities that stop feeling good as your pregnancy progresses, and loop in your OB or a prenatal-certified physical therapist if anything feels off.