Categories / Mobility, rehab & life stages
Featured in: Exercise during pregnancy
Pregnancy Exercise
Gentle, adapted strength and cardio for pregnancy.
How to start
With your midwife or GP's agreement, aim for about 150 minutes a week of moderate activity such as walking, swimming and low-impact classes, plus gentle strength work.
How to progress
Keep activity steady rather than raising intensity. Adapt as pregnancy progresses.
What the evidence says
Evidence: moderate
A 2026 pooled analysis of 19 trials (6,213 pregnant women, moderate-certainty evidence) found that supervised exercise lowered the risk of gestational diabetes (by about 26%), high blood pressure in pregnancy (about 45%), excessive weight gain (about 25%) and large babies (about 39%), with greater effects when it started early and combined aerobic and resistance training.
What supervised exercise in pregnancy is linked to
Lower risk compared with usual care. Bars show the estimate; lines show the 95% range.
Pooled from 19 randomised trials of 6,213 pregnant women. Effects were larger when exercise started early, was combined aerobic and resistance training, and was done at least 150 minutes a week.
Source: Supervised exercise in pregnancy meta-analysis, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2026
Take care: Get your midwife or doctor's agreement first. Avoid contact sports, lying flat on your back later in pregnancy, overheating and diving. Stop and seek help for bleeding, dizziness, chest pain, leaking fluid or regular tightening.
Sources
12-week starter plan
Gentle activity most days. Adapt as your pregnancy progresses.
Tick each week as you finish it; your ticks are saved on this device only. Repeat a week if it felt hard. Weeks 4, 8 and 12 hold steady so you can settle. This is a general plan, not medical advice.
Add reminders to your calendar
Pick your days and time. You will download a calendar file that adds 12 weeks of reminders to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar.
Calories and weekly minutes
Enter your details for a rough estimate. Based on about 3.5 METs (Typical effort for this activity (estimated)). Real figures vary by 20% or more between people.
Tips and common mistakes
Tips
- Talk to your midwife.
- Keep cool and hydrated.
- Use the talk test.
Common mistakes
- Overheating.
- Lying flat for long.
- Starting new high-impact sports.
Kit and cost
Low Approximate UK prices.
- Supportive trainers
- A supportive bra
- A pregnancy class (about £5 to £12)
Frequently asked questions
Is exercise safe in pregnancy?
For most healthy pregnancies, yes, with advice from your midwife.
How much?
About 150 minutes a week of moderate activity.
What should I avoid?
Contact sports, overheating and lying flat on your back later in pregnancy.
Good for: Back & posture Rehab & recovery Sleep
Compare with similar options
| Pregnancy Exercise | Cardiac Rehab | Posture and Core Stability | Back Care Exercises | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical session | 30 min × 3/wk | 60 min × 2/wk | 20 min × 4/wk | 15 min × 5/wk |
| Effort | ●●○○○ | ●●○○○ | ●○○○○ | ●○○○○ |
| Cost | Low cost | Free | Free | Free |
| Equipment | No equipment | Some equipment | No equipment | No equipment |
| Impact | Low impact | Low impact | Low impact | Low impact |
| Fitness needed | Any level | Any level | Any level | Any level |
| Evidence | moderate | moderate | limited | limited |