Can you lift weights while pregnant? A trimester-by-trimester guide

Strength training used to come with a lot of hesitation during pregnancy. Current guidelines have moved well past that. Lifting is now part of the recommended mix, and for many people it makes the physical work of pregnancy, from carrying shopping to getting up off the floor, feel more manageable. What changes is how hard you push, how you breathe, and which positions you use as your body changes.

This guide covers the evidence, the practical adjustments, and a trimester-by-trimester plan. It assumes your doctor or midwife has said exercise is fine for you. If you haven't had that conversation yet, it's a good first step.

Can I lift weights while pregnant?

The WHO recommends that pregnant people without contraindications include a variety of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities in their week.^[1] The 2019 Canadian guideline makes the same recommendation and explains why: in its systematic reviews, programmes that combined aerobic and resistance training improved pregnancy outcomes more than aerobic exercise alone, and the available evidence on resistance training has not identified adverse effects for the mother, the fetus or the newborn.^[2]

The IOC expert group on exercise and pregnancy reached a similar view: light to moderate weight training with free weights or machines generally has no adverse health effects during pregnancy.^[3] A systematic review of 61 randomised trials found strong evidence that combined aerobic and strength programmes improve fitness and help prevent urinary incontinence during pregnancy.^[5]

How heavy should you lift when pregnant?

Moderate is the intensity the guidelines recommend throughout pregnancy. The WHO describes moderate effort as usually a 5 or 6 on a 0 to 10 scale of how hard you feel you are working.^[1] The simplest check is the talk test: if you can hold a conversation, you are at a comfortable intensity, and if you can't, you should ease off.^[2] ACOG describes it the same way: you can talk normally, but you cannot sing.^[8]

For lifting, that usually means choosing a weight you could move a few more times at the end of each set, without grinding, straining or holding your breath. Our free pregnancy exercise intensity guide helps you check where you are.

What about heavier lifting? The honest answer is that we don't know much yet. The IOC group notes that research on strenuous strength training in pregnancy is sparse.^[3] The Canadian guideline recommends high-intensity activity only in a monitored environment, and asks anyone exercising well above the guidelines to seek supervision from an obstetric care provider.^[2] A 2023 survey of people who lifted at least 80% of their one-repetition maximum during pregnancy found that most reported no complications, but a survey of experienced lifters cannot show whether heavy lifting is safe for everyone.^[6]

Eggsports takes the guideline line: during pregnancy, our sessions stay at gentle and moderate effort, and we don't program the strongest tier of exercises.

How should you breathe when lifting during pregnancy?

Many lifters are taught to take a big breath and brace hard before a heavy lift. In pregnancy, that technique needs rethinking. The IOC expert group explains that the Valsalva manoeuvre causes a rapid rise in blood pressure and intra-abdominal pressure and may temporarily decrease blood flow to the fetus, with unknown effects.^[3] Large increases in pressure inside the abdomen may also strain the pelvic floor.^[3]

The IOC's practical recommendations are to adjust strenuous strength training to avoid the Valsalva manoeuvre and excessive pressure on the pelvic floor, and to contract the pelvic floor muscles before and during heavier lifts.^[4] The Canadian guideline adds that anyone who feels light-headed when straining and holding their breath should stop the breath-hold.^[2]

A simple pattern works for most lifts:

1. Breathe in as you prepare or lower the weight.
2. Breathe out steadily through pursed lips as you lift, gently drawing your pelvic floor up.
3. Keep the breath moving. If you need to hold your breath to finish a rep, the weight is too heavy for today.

In Eggsports sessions, every exercise carries the same cue: exhale on effort; never hold your breath. If you'd like to practise the pelvic floor part on its own, our pelvic floor exercise timer guides you through slow and quick squeezes.

What should you change in each trimester?

You can check exactly where you are with our pregnancy week calculator. Here is how a strength routine typically shifts:

First trimester

Fatigue and nausea are often the main obstacles. Lift when you feel able, shorten sessions when you don't, and remember that a skipped session is not a setback. ACOG advises avoiding overheating, especially in the first trimester, and drinking plenty of water before, during and after exercise.^[8] The NHS also advises against exercising on an empty stomach, as it could make you feel faint.^[9]

Second trimester

This is when position starts to matter. Lying flat on your back can press on a large vein returning blood to the heart, and the IOC group notes this can cause low blood pressure in some pregnant people.^[3] Guidelines differ on timing: the WHO advises avoiding activities on your back after the first trimester,^[1] while a systematic review concluded there isn't enough evidence to say whether exercising on your back is safe or should be avoided.^[7] The IOC group advises caution when lifting on your back and suggests an incline of about 45 degrees, or side-lying, seated or standing alternatives.^[4]

Eggsports takes the cautious route: from week 16, our sessions leave out exercises lying on your back or front, and moves that twist under load.

Third trimester

Your centre of gravity has moved forward, which makes losing your balance more likely, and hormones have relaxed the ligaments around your joints.^[8] Many people find it more comfortable to move to steadier variations: goblet squats to a box, seated rows, supported split squats with a hand on a wall, and banded work. The IOC group recommends modifying any exercise that brings a feeling of muscle strain or excessive fatigue.^[4] In the third trimester, Eggsports also leaves out moves that need moderate balance and favours standing, seated and side-lying positions.

Which lifts should you avoid when pregnant?

The Canadian guideline lists Olympic lifts among the activities to avoid because of their danger of falling, alongside sports like horse riding and downhill skiing.^[2] Beyond that, most changes are swaps rather than bans.

The swaps for your abdominal muscles are covered in more depth in our guide to core training in pregnancy. If some lifts start to hurt at the front or back of your pelvis, read about pelvic girdle pain, which often responds to small changes in stance and range.

What if you never lifted weights before pregnancy?

The Canadian guideline makes a strong recommendation that people who were previously inactive should become active during pregnancy, starting gradually, at a lower intensity, and increasing as pregnancy progresses.^[2] The NHS suggests aiming for two muscle-strengthening sessions a week, and notes these can include yoga or carrying shopping, as well as gym strength training if you already do it.^[9]

A gentle starting point might be:

• Sit-to-stand from a chair, 8 to 12 times.
• Wall push-ups, 8 to 12 times.
• Band rows, 8 to 12 times.
• Standing glute squeezes or side steps with a band.
• A few rounds of slow pelvic floor squeezes.

Two rounds, twice a week, is a fine beginning. If you join a gym class or work with a trainer, tell them you are pregnant.^[9]

When should you stop a strength session?

The full list, and what to do next, is in our guide to warning signs to stop exercising. Outside those signs, trust what you feel. The IOC group recommends modifying exercises when you notice muscle strain or excessive fatigue.^[4] Every movement in the Eggsports player has a "This doesn't feel right" button for exactly this reason: it stops the movement and lets you continue with something else, or rest.

Strength is something you can keep building in a new way through pregnancy, at an effort your body agrees with. For the wider picture, from benefits to trimester changes, see our complete guide to exercise during pregnancy.