Q&A: Sorting Through Conflicting Advice on Pregnancy Workouts

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Newborn, Parent, Homebirth, Vbac, Kids & Family, Doula, Firsttimemom, Midwife, Pregnancy, Doctor, Parenting, Pregnant, Vanessamerten, Physician, Csection, Prenatalcare, Breastfeeding, Naturalbirth, Nursing, Birthcenter, Family, Baby, Hospitalbirth, Health, Obgyn, Research, Trimester, Expecting, Labor, Mom, Diet, Dad, Birth

4.5 • 948 Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Exercise during pregnancy is evidence-based to reduce the risk of certain complications, support healthy weight gain, alleviate common pregnancy discomforts, and improve mental well-being. Despite these well-documented benefits, confusion remains about which exercises are safe and which should be avoided. Guidelines from organizations like ACOG tend to be broad and overly cautious, which may not always align with your fitness level or lifestyle. While prioritizing safety is important, finding a balanced approach that works for you is key. In this episode, we answer a listener’s questions about working out during pregnancy, including cardio, HIIT, and strength training. Learn about the research, how to assess your comfort level, and how to make informed decisions about staying active during pregnancy.

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Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.

Join Pregnancy Podcast Premium to access the entire back catalog, listen to all episodes ad-free, get a copy of the Your Birth Plan Book, and more.

Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.

For more evidence-based information, visit the Pregnancy Podcast website.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Merton.
0:10.6	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast. Today's episode, we are sorting
0:17.2	through conflicting advice on pregnancy workouts. Exercise during pregnancy is evidence-based
0:23.7	for all kinds of things, to reduce the risk of certain complications, support healthy weight gain,
0:30.7	alleviate common pregnancy symptoms, and improve mental health. Despite all of these well-documented benefits, there's confusion about
0:40.4	what exercises are safe and which should be avoided. Guidelines from organizations like ACOG
0:46.9	tend to be broad and overly cautious, and that may not always align with your fitness level
0:53.5	or your lifestyle. Of course,
0:55.9	prioritizing safety is important, but you also have to find a balanced approach that works for you.
1:02.8	In this episode, I answer a listener's questions about working out during pregnancy,
1:08.3	including cardio, hit, and strength training.
1:11.8	Learn about the research, how to assess your comfort level, and how to make informed decisions
1:17.8	about staying active during pregnancy.
1:20.6	You can find the complete article and all of the resources for this episode at
1:26.9	Pregnancypodcast.com slash workout.
1:31.7	You are currently listening to the public feed of the podcast, which gives you access to the last
1:37.6	year of episodes. Become a pregnancy podcast premium member to unlock every single episode ad-free and get access to
1:47.7	hundreds of episodes exclusively available for premium members. There are episodes that cover
1:54.1	every topic you could think of for pregnancy, every intervention that you could utilize for your
2:00.1	birth, even episodes on breastfeeding,
2:03.2	planning for postpartum, and taking care of your newborn.
2:07.1	Check out Pregnancy Podcast Premium at Pregnancypodcast.com slash premium.
	...

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