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4 Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy

By Kelly Yager · · 4 min read

A pregnant woman doing a wall squat with a stability ball behind her back, arms reaching forward, in a bright bedroom.

4 Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy

Most physical activity is safe and beneficial during pregnancy, but there are specific exercises that carry higher risks due to potential falls, trauma, overheating, or changes in blood flow. These are generally recommended to be avoided or modified with a doctor’s guidance.

1. Activities With High Fall or Impact Risk

Examples: Downhill skiing, horseback riding, cycling outdoors on uneven terrain, contact sports (e.g., soccer, basketball, hockey), gymnastics.

Why It's Risky: Pregnancy hormones (relaxin is one of them) loosen the ligaments that support your joints, which makes them easier to injure. And as your belly grows, your center of gravity shifts, so you're less stable and more likely to fall. A hard fall or a blow to the belly can hurt you and, in some cases, your baby.

“Because you are less stable and more likely to lose your balance, you are at greater risk of falling.”

— ACOG

Recommendation: Avoid high-impact sports or activities with a high likelihood of falling. If you want cardio or strength work, choose low-impact alternatives (e.g., walking, swimming, stationary cycling) that maintain fitness without risking a fall.

2. Hot Yoga or Exercise in High Heat/Humidity

Examples: Hot yoga, hot Pilates, exercise classes in hot/humid environments.

Why It's Risky: A very high body temperature in early pregnancy, like a high fever, is linked to a greater chance of neural tube defects. Studies show regular exercise in a normal room keeps you well below that level, but a heated studio adds heat you can't get away from, and you can get dehydrated quickly. That's why ACOG lists hot yoga and hot Pilates among the activities to skip.

Recommendation: Stick with temperature-controlled environments and avoid exercising in extreme heat or humidity.

3. Scuba Diving or Activities Involving Pressure Changes

Examples: Scuba diving, and exercising above 6,000 feet if you don't already live at high altitude.

Why It's Risky: Diving exposes your baby to pressure changes and the risk of decompression sickness. No study can safely test this in pregnancy, but older records and animal research suggest a higher risk of birth defects and other complications, especially in the first trimester, so every major medical group says to skip it. Snorkeling is a fine swap.

Recommendation: Avoid scuba diving and similar activities throughout pregnancy.

4. Exercises That Cause Jarring Movements or Excessive Strain

Examples: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) with jumping and rapid directional changes, intense plyometrics, heavy explosive movements.

Why It’s Risky: Pregnancy alters joint stability and balance. Activities with rapid stops, starts, jumps or jarring landings can strain joints that are already more mobile because of pregnancy hormones, increasing the risk of injury to ligaments and joints.

“Avoid jerky, bouncy, or high-impact motions that can increase your risk of being hurt.”

— ACOG

Recommendation: You don't have to give up hard workouts, especially if you were doing them before pregnancy. Swap the jumps, bounding and fast direction changes for controlled, low-impact versions (step-backs instead of jump lunges, a fast march instead of high knees), and check with your provider about how hard to push.

General Safety Principles Across All Activities

Here are key reasons why these risks are emphasized by clinical guidelines:

  • Loose joints and shifting balance: Pregnancy hormones, including relaxin, make ligaments more flexible, and your growing belly shifts your balance, raising the risk of sprains and falls.

  • Overheating and dehydration: Raising core body temperature too high can be unsafe, especially in early pregnancy.

  • Lying flat on your back: After the first trimester, your uterus can press on a large vein when you lie on your back, which may briefly lower your blood pressure and make you dizzy. Short stretches are usually fine; switch positions if you feel lightheaded or unwell.

  • Trauma risk: Contact sports and activities where you could be hit in the belly are best avoided, because an injury to the abdomen can raise the risk of placental abruption (the placenta separating from the uterus).

Alternatives and Safer Options

Swap this for this. Instead of contact sports like soccer or hockey, try brisk walking. Instead of outdoor or off-road cycling, a stationary bike. Instead of hot yoga or hot Pilates, prenatal yoga in a cool room. Instead of scuba diving, snorkeling. Instead of jump squats, burpees and plyometrics, controlled low-impact versions.

Instead of high-risk activities, healthcare providers and research sources suggest low-impact, controlled forms of exercise that maintain strength and cardiovascular health without the same danger:

  • Walking, swimming, and water aerobics for cardiovascular fitness and joint support.

  • Stationary cycling rather than outdoor biking for lower fall risk.

  • Prenatal yoga and modified Pilates for flexibility and core strength (avoiding supine poses after first trimester).

  • Strength training with moderate, controlled loads under guidance, avoiding heavy weights and unstable positions.

Bottom Line

Exercise during pregnancy is beneficial when done safely, but certain exercises and activities — particularly those with high fall risk, extreme heat, pressure changes, or jarring movements — can pose unnecessary harm and should generally be avoided or modified. Always work with your healthcare provider to tailor activity to your medical history and pregnancy stage.

Sources

Cover photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.

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