Which Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy? List and Safe Swaps

You've just found out you're pregnant, and after the initial excitement, the next reaction is often caution. You might be wondering which exercises to avoid during pregnancy so you don't put your baby at risk, while still wanting to stay active, strong, and ready for birth.

Fear of movement is completely natural at this stage, but it's often overblown. The goal of adapting your training isn't to stop exercising, but to remove specific risks and introduce smart, safe swaps that will feel good for your body. With your gynecologist's approval, an active pregnancy is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself and your child.

Below, we walk through a clear, science-based overview of exercises and activities best skipped temporarily, along with concrete, safe movements to replace them.

Why adapting your training during pregnancy is necessary

During pregnancy, your body goes through fast, deep changes. The hormone relaxin loosens your ligaments and joints so your pelvis can widen, which also makes you more prone to sprains and injuries. As your baby grows, your center of gravity shifts forward, changing your balance and the load on your spine.

Leading global gynecological organizations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), strongly encourage physical activity in uncomplicated pregnancies. They make clear, however, that the intensity and choice of exercises must be adapted.

For a deeper understanding of how to structure your whole training plan week by week, read our complete guide to exercising during pregnancy. If you're at the very start of this journey, you'll find useful information about the early weeks in our article on the first trimester.

1. High-risk activities for falls and impact

Some activities are simply too risky because of unpredictable external factors. Falls or direct blows to the belly can cause serious complications, including premature placental abruption.

This group includes sports like skiing, horseback riding, rollerblading, mountain and road cycling, and contact team sports like basketball, handball, or football. Martial arts should also be avoided entirely.

• What to avoid: Any activity where there's a risk of losing your balance, colliding with other people, or falling onto a hard surface.
• Safe swap: A stationary bike is an excellent replacement for outdoor cycling, since it eliminates the risk of falling or sudden braking. Brisk walking on a treadmill or flat terrain, swimming, and controlled strength training in a gym will give you a great cardio effect with no risk of impact.

2. Prolonged lying on your back after week 16

After around week 16 of pregnancy, the uterus becomes heavy enough that lying on your back can compress the inferior vena cava. This is the large vein that returns blood from the lower body to the heart.

Pressure on this vein can reduce blood and oxygen flow to the fetus, and cause a sudden drop in your blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, and weakness. This phenomenon is called supine hypotensive syndrome.

• What to avoid: Classic bench press, abdominal exercises lying on your back, stretches on your back, or prolonged relaxation in that position.
• Safe swap: You can modify any exercise normally done on your back by raising the bench to a 30–45 degree incline. You can also do exercises standing, sitting, or lying on your side. The side position is also the safest position for resting and sleeping.

3. The Valsalva maneuver (breath-holding) and maximal loads

Holding your breath while lifting heavy loads is called the Valsalva maneuver. While this technique is useful for weightlifters because it stabilizes the core, it should be strictly avoided during pregnancy.

Holding your breath causes a sudden spike in blood pressure, reduces the immediate flow of oxygen to your baby, and creates huge pressure on your pelvic floor and abdominal wall. This can weaken the muscles that support the bladder and uterus and increase the risk of incontinence.

• What to avoid: Lifting maximal weights (1RM, or one-rep max), training to complete muscle failure, and consciously holding your breath during effort.
• Safe swap: Use moderate loads that let you do 10 to 15 reps without straining your face or holding your breath. The key rule to apply: exhale on effort (for example, exhale as you rise from a squat, inhale as you lower).

📋 Want to train without fear or guesswork? Every pregnancy is unique, and generic advice from the internet often creates more confusion than help. Our certified kinesiologists can create a personalized plan tailored to your week of pregnancy and fitness level. Fill out our short quiz and take the first step toward a safe, active pregnancy.

4. Classic sit-ups and exercises that overload the abdominal wall

As your baby grows, your straight abdominal muscles naturally separate along the linea alba. This is called abdominal muscle diastasis (diastasis recti).

Doing classic sit-ups, lifting both legs off the floor while lying down, or long, static planks creates too much outward pressure. That pressure can worsen the muscle gap and make postpartum recovery harder.

• What to avoid: Classic sit-ups and crunches, leg "scissors," deep and sudden torso rotations, and advanced plank variations if you notice your belly doming at the midline ("coning").
• Safe swap: Focus on core stabilization and strengthening the deep muscles (transversus abdominis). Great exercises include the bird-dog (extending the opposite arm and leg on all fours), the pallof press with a resistance band, the kneeling side plank, and controlled breathing with core activation.

5. Overheating (hyperthermia) and extreme conditions

Elevated maternal body temperature, especially in the first trimester, is linked to an increased risk of neural tube defects in the fetus. Your body during pregnancy is already running "in a warmer gear," so you overheat more easily.

Certain activities like scuba diving also carry a risk of decompression sickness in the fetus, since the baby's lungs can't filter out nitrogen bubbles. Exercising at altitudes above 2,500 meters without prior acclimatization can also reduce oxygen supply to the fetus.

• What to avoid: Hot yoga, hot pilates, saunas and steam rooms, intense outdoor exercise during summer heat, scuba diving, and rapid ascents to high altitude.
• Safe swap: Exercise in air-conditioned or well-ventilated spaces. Always keep a water bottle with you and drink in small sips throughout your workout. Wear layered, breathable clothing that lets heat escape.

6. High-impact activities and sudden changes of direction

As pregnancy progresses, your joints and ligaments become looser due to relaxin. Activities involving a lot of jumping, sudden changes of direction, or explosive movements can overload your knee and ankle joints and put too much pressure on your pelvic floor.

• What to avoid: Marathon running (unless you're an experienced runner with your doctor's approval), box jumps, jump rope, and intense HIIT workouts with lots of jumping.
• Safe swap: Low-impact cardio. An elliptical trainer, brisk incline walking, light dancing, or aerobics without jumps will give you all the cardiovascular benefits without unnecessary stress on your joints.

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⚠️ When to stop exercising immediately and call your doctor

Regardless of the type of activity, stop your workout immediately and contact your gynecologist if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Vaginal bleeding or fluid leakage
• Dizziness, weakness, or feeling faint
• Chest pain or a racing heart at rest
• Shortness of breath before you've even started exerting yourself
• Painful, rhythmic uterine contractions (more than the usual Braxton Hicks)
• Swelling, pain, or redness in your calves
• A sudden, severe headache

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Frequently asked questions about exercising during pregnancy

Am I allowed to run during pregnancy if I ran before?

Yes, if your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you were an active runner before conceiving. The key is to listen to your body, slow your pace, and switch to brisk walking as soon as you feel pelvic pressure, discomfort, or excessive fatigue. Running is usually easier to tolerate in the first and second trimester, while most pregnant women switch to lower-impact activities in the third.

Am I allowed to do any kind of sit-ups?

You should avoid classic sit-ups and lifting your torso off the floor after the first trimester. Instead, do exercises that stabilize your core without flexing your spine forward, like the bird-dog or a kneeling side plank. These exercises protect your abdominal wall and help prevent severe diastasis.

Is lifting weights safe for my baby?

Lifting weights is extremely beneficial because it strengthens your back, glute, and leg muscles, which makes carrying your pregnant belly easier and prepares your body for birth. The loads, however, must be moderate. Avoid maximal loads and effort that requires holding your breath. Focus on proper form and controlled breathing.

What if I accidentally did one of the "forbidden" exercises?

Don't panic. If you did an exercise once early in pregnancy, like a few sit-ups or lying on your back briefly, it very likely didn't cause any harm. What matters is that from the moment you learn the guidelines, you adjust your habits and keep exercising safely going forward.

Smart movement is your best ally

Pregnancy isn't the time to break personal records, but it's definitely not a time for inactivity either. By avoiding a handful of high-risk movements and introducing safe swaps, you're giving your body the best possible support.

Properly dosed training will reduce back pain, improve sleep, boost your energy levels, and make it easier to get back in shape once your baby arrives. Listen to your body, consult with professionals, and enjoy every safe movement.