Is an intensive prenatal workout safe to do?

curved line

Table of Contents

Do you love high intensity training? Boot Camps? A good sweaty HIIT workout? Now that you are pregnant you might be wondering what you need to change to ensure that any intensive prenatal workouts are safe for you and babe.

Are intensive prenatal workouts safe?

It depends. ‘Intensive’ exercise refers to exercise that involves maximum effort, the kind of effort that cannot be sustained for more than a minute or so. It’s where you feel out of breath and wouldn’t be able to talk easily. Examples might include Bootcamp or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), running or heavy strength training including Crossfit.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) advise that high-intensity prenatal workouts are not recommended. To distinguish the difference, many trainers use the ‘talk test’ – you should be able to hold a conversation as you exercise and if that’s a struggle, it’s too much.

prenatal workouts

Both appropriate strength training and aerobic exercise are good as prenatal workouts. If you have no contraindications, if you did this type of exercise before and if you listen to your body, moderately intensive exercise during pregnancy can absolutely be beneficial and safe.

How to define ‘intensive’ for you

To ensure your pregnancy exercise is safe for you:

  1. A pregnant woman must have her Doctor’s clearance to exercise
  2. ‘Listen to your body and respond accordingly’ is the most important advice of all

Pregnant women are more prone to overexertion, overheating and dehydration.. So good air circulation, a comfortable temperature and easy and plentiful access to hydration before, during and after exercise are vital.

Red flags to look out for during prenatal workouts:

  • Pain or bleeding
  • Heaviness in the perineum
  • Dizziness
  • Bulging or doming of the abdomen in later trimesters.
  • Leaking urine
  • If you experience these symptoms, stop and seek medical attention from a Doctor or specialist Pelvic Health Physio/PT.

It is also important to make sure you are maintaining adequate caloric intake and nutrition to support your activity level during pregnancy.

Wendy Powell
Wendy Powell
Wendy Powell, Dip PT is Founder and CEO of MUTU System. Wendy is a highly certified postpartum specialist and master trainer, as well as a speaker, Femtech entrepreneur and mentor.

Table of Contents

Life-Changing Results for Moms

  • Approved as safe and effective in Clinical trials
  • Evidence based solution for fat loss, diastasis recti and pelvic floor
  • Stream Pre and Postpartum workouts on-demand from any device
  • Inclusive, expert-led support community
  • Track your step by step progress in the MUTU Hub

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

See you later, postpartum self-care. We're doing relational care now.

Read More

Here's what to eat (and avoid) on a pregnancy diet

Read More

Getting to know symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) in pregnancy

Read More

Postpartum recovery - I wish I knew

Read More

This is the Right Exercise for Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction

Read More

Watch: Nicole's story about working out during pregnancy

Read More

Explore similar articles

Our Review Process

Where you see the Medically Reviewed link, our MUTU editorial content has been checked by one of our qualified medical ambassadors for accuracy.

53% OFF MUTU!

For the next 24 hours, we are running our biggest sale of the year