For most healthy pregnancies, exercise is safe and recommended. The CDC suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) encourages strength training before, during and after pregnancy.
What changes is how you train. Here’s what to focus on in each trimester. Check with your doctor or midwife before you start.
How hard should you work out while pregnant?
Use the talk test. You should be able to talk in full sentences, but not sing. Breathe through every rep, stay hydrated and choose control over speed.
First trimester: stay consistent
Fatigue and nausea can hit hard in the first few months, even before anyone can see your bump. Keep workouts simple: full body strength, walking and mobility. Eat a small snack before you train and get up slowly from the floor. Some weeks, one workout is a win.
Second trimester: build strength
Many women get their energy back here, which makes it a great time to get stronger. Your bump and your balance are changing, and your joints are looser, so focus on control over range. Use a wall or chair for single-leg work, and avoid lying flat on your back for long periods.
Third trimester: get ready for birth
Fatigue, backaches and shortness of breath often return. Shift from building strength to maintaining it. Work on posture, breathing and pelvic floor connection, take more rest between sets and keep a chair nearby for balance.
What should you avoid?
- Contact sports
- Activities with a high risk of falls
- Hot yoga and hot Pilates
- Lying flat on your back for long periods after the first trimester
Stop and call your provider if you feel dizzy, faint or short of breath, have chest pain, bleeding, leaking fluid or contractions, or notice your baby moving less.
Train through every trimester with BB
Knowing what’s safe is one thing. Knowing exactly what to do this week is another.
Rise Through Pregnancy is a 36-week strength program coached by BB, our prenatal and postpartum specialist. You get four pregnancy-safe workouts a week and a plan that changes with each trimester. Not feeling it this week? Repeat it.
