What Should I Keep in Mind?
Exercising during pregnancy is possible and even healthy — provided the pregnancy is progressing normally and there are no medical reasons against physical activity.
However, not every type of sport is suitable during pregnancy, and you should avoid excessive physical strain.
It is best to consult your gynecologist about what is most appropriate for your individual situation
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Talk to Your Gynecologist
Playing rugby, boxing, or long jumping — since becoming pregnant, you may instinctively shy away from these activities.
In principle, however, doctors and sports scientists approve a wide range of sports that can help you stay fit during pregnancy. Moderate endurance exercise in particular is healthy for both mother and baby and may positively influence your baby’s development.
Still, it is always advisable to consult your gynecologist. Every pregnancy is different, and every woman has different physical conditions that should be taken into account.
ℹ️ Important: During the first three months, the risk of miscarriage is highest. Sports involving impact and jolting movements, such as jogging, are therefore best avoided during the first weeks. And if you are suffering from typical pregnancy nausea, it is perfectly okay to rest and take a generous break from exercise.
Which Physical Changes Have an Impact?
Not only is your baby growing and requiring more space, but your entire body is preparing for birth and the intense time with a newborn.
Due to hormonal changes and increasing body weight, the following changes occur, for example:
- connective tissue becomes softer
- the pelvis loosens
- tendons become more flexible
- the musculoskeletal system becomes less stable
That is why you should be more careful while jogging, for example, and ideally wear running shoes that support the arches of your feet (pronation support). Overall, it is important to avoid extreme physical strain, especially in heat, cold, or high altitudes.
ℹ️ In general, keep in mind that in the event of a sports injury, even routine surgeries can become more complicated during pregnancy, for example regarding anesthesia. When in doubt, it is wise not to take unnecessary risks.
Which Sports Are Especially Recommended During Pregnancy?
If your doctor approves, the following activities are particularly suitable:
- Swimming and aqua jogging: They improve endurance, flexibility, and coordination while posing very little risk of injury. They also relieve pressure on the feet, knees, and hips — ideal as your baby bump grows and your weight increases. Read more
- Walking and cycling outdoors
- Cross trainer workouts at the gym: The smooth, low-impact movement protects the joints, which are under extra strain during pregnancy.
- Gentle gymnastics or yoga (also as a supplement): These help keep your whole musculoskeletal system in good condition.
ℹ️ However, from around the 20th week of pregnancy onward, you should remove sit-ups and crunches from your workout routine because the straight abdominal muscles become weaker and stretch. Pelvic floor exercises and side or oblique abdominal muscles, however, can still be trained throughout pregnancy.
As your belly grows, stabilization exercises that involve little movement are also recommended. Midwives and childbirth preparation classes can provide professional guidance.
Which Sports Can Become Dangerous for the Baby?
Your baby is always part of your workout, and every increase in your heart rate also affects your child as a kind of training effect.
You should therefore avoid extreme endurance strain, such as participating in a triathlon competition, as this may harm the baby’s developing body. Oxygen deprivation during intense endurance exercise can even lead to insufficient oxygen supply for the baby.
There are also sports in which pregnant women should significantly slow down or ideally avoid them entirely:
- Sports with high impact or risk of injury (horseback riding, inline skating, skateboarding, skiing, ice skating, surfing, diving, ambitious mountaineering, and climbing)
- Sports involving explosive movements (javelin throwing, artistic gymnastics)
- Sports with sudden, unpredictable movements, as often seen in ball sports
- Sports involving high internal pressure (intense strength training, weightlifting)
- Martial arts and team sports with intense physical contact
However, sport-specific basic and technical training (such as movement sequences in martial arts) may still provide fitness and enjoyment during the first five to six months of pregnancy — as long as they remain outside of competition mode.
Training Goals
Your main training goal during pregnancy should be to maintain a good body feeling. Instead of focusing on heart rate monitors or stopwatches, you can listen to your instincts. Fortunately, body awareness is often stronger during pregnancy anyway — so your sensitive “coach” is always with you.
If you were not exercising regularly before but would now like to start a sport during pregnancy for health reasons, it is best to discuss the activity and appropriate intensity with your doctor.
This is especially true for professional athletes: basic training is usually possible during pregnancy, but peak physical strain is not.
What Positive Effects Does Exercise Have During Pregnancy?
Regular exercise has positive effects on both body and mind — even during pregnancy:
- Varied movement, such as swimming, can prevent strain and tension caused by weight gain and shifts in the body’s center of gravity.
- Moderate cardiovascular activity can reduce water retention and lower the risk of gestational diabetes.
- Mental well-being also benefits: exercise releases hormones that improve mood, which may reduce the risk of pregnancy-related and postpartum depression.
Can Too Much Exercise Make Childbirth Harder?
You may have heard the common belief that strong abdominal and core muscles can make childbirth more difficult. However, this is not entirely true.
Intense training becomes harder in the months before birth anyway, causing muscle tone to decrease continuously. In addition, pregnancy hormones make the fascia (connective tissue) in the muscles more flexible.
Your body is therefore preparing itself for birth even if you normally train a lot. In general, women who are used to physical activity often cope better with the physical demands of childbirth.
Do You Still Have Questions or Other Concerns?
Maybe you now feel motivated to put on your workout clothes and get moving. Or perhaps it reassures you to know that you are also allowed to take things a little more slowly now. Or maybe you are still unsure whether or how you can continue practicing your favorite sport during pregnancy. These are questions you can discuss with your midwife or gynecologist.
But perhaps you have completely different questions — smaller or bigger concerns that are currently on your mind. We are happy to be here for you!
For example, try our free self-tests:
- 🍷🚬 Alcohol/tobacco/drugs: Has the consumption harmed my child?
- 💻 Pregnant at work: What do I need to keep in mind?
- 🙎🏻♂️ Acknowledgment of paternity: What if there are problems with the father?
- ⛑ Unexpectedly pregnant: First aid test
- 🤱 Pregnant again after a C-section: Is it too soon?
