Strength Training During Pregnancy – What the Research Actually Shows

posted: 05.25.2026

Strength Training During Pregnancy – What the Research Actually Shows

A new systematic review of nine randomised controlled trials and 1,581 women confirms what biokineticists have long suspected: resistance training isn’t just safe during pregnancy – it’s beneficial.

The “Just Stick to Walks” Advice Is Outdated

Most exercise guidelines for pregnant women have historically emphasised aerobic activity – 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week. That recommendation isn’t wrong, but it’s incomplete. Growing evidence suggests that strength training offers distinct benefits that aerobic exercise alone cannot replicate.

A systematic review published in April 2025 in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica sought to answer a straightforward question: what does the research actually say about the effects of strength training on quality of life during pregnancy? The findings are worth unpacking.

What the Research Found

Across nine randomised controlled trials, supervised strength training programmes consistently produced meaningful improvements across multiple dimensions of maternal health:

  • Reduced excessive gestational weight gain
  • Improved cardiorespiratory fitness
  • Significantly reduced low back and sciatic pain
  • Better sleep duration and quality
  • Reduced anxiety, sadness, and fatigue
  • Increased energy levels and vitality
  • Better social functioning and daily activity
  • Higher self-rated health status

Strength training during pregnancy is safe and beneficial. Here's what the research actually shows — and what an effective programme looks like.

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The Back Pain Finding Is Particularly Significant

Low back and pelvic pain are among the most common complaints during pregnancy – and among the most undertreated. One Spanish trial included in the review found that women in the supervised exercise group showed significant reductions in both lower back pain and sciatica scores, while the control group’s pain, particularly during sleep and when lifting, actually worsened over the same period.

This aligns with what we see clinically: strengthening the muscles that support the spine and pelvis can meaningfully reduce discomfort, even when the structural changes of pregnancy are working against you. It’s not about achieving a “perfect” spine. It’s about building enough capacity to cope with the demands being placed on your body.

The Mental Health Dimension

One of the more underappreciated findings relates to psychological well-being. Women who attended all supervised strength training sessions reported significantly reduced sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety – alongside increased energy levels.

 This isn’t surprising from a neuroscience perspective: resistance training promotes endorphin release and has well-documented effects on mood regulation. But it’s meaningful to see it documented specifically in the pregnancy context, where mood disturbances are both common and consequential.

What an Effective Programme Looks Like

Based on the studies reviewed, the authors outlined the characteristics of programmes that produced the strongest outcomes:

  • Duration: 12 weeks or longer
  • Frequency: 1–2 strength sessions per week
  • Session length: approximately 60 minutes
  • Intensity: moderate (RPE 12–14 out of 20)
  • Format: circuit-based, functional movements
  • Key focus areas: core, pelvic floor, upper and lower body
  • Supervision: required – all effective studies were supervised

Example movements included squats, lunges, deadlifts, shoulder press, rowing variations, and adapted push-ups – all functional, all modifiable as pregnancy progresses. 

Pelvic floor and core work featured heavily across the studies, which makes sense given its role in both pregnancy comfort and labour preparation.

A Note on Caution and Context

The review is honest about its limitations. Most studies focused on the second and third trimesters – evidence for first-trimester training is still limited. The outcomes measured varied across studies, making direct comparisons difficult. And the largest single trial accounted for 44% of the total sample, which should temper the confidence we place in any one finding.

What the review does confirm is the direction of the evidence. Supervised strength training during pregnancy, at moderate intensity, is both safe and beneficial for most healthy women. 

The risks of doing too little – reduced capacity, increased pain, poorer mood, and deconditioning – are real, too.

Our Take as Biokineticists

This research reinforces what we work toward with every prenatal client: building a body that’s more adaptable, more resilient, and better prepared for what pregnancy and childbirth demand , and for recovery afterwards. That doesn’t require extreme effort. It requires consistency, appropriate loading, and the right guidance.

If you’re pregnant and unsure whether resistance training is appropriate for you, or you’ve been told to “just rest,” it’s worth having a conversation with a biokineticist. The evidence is increasingly clear that movement – done well – is part of the prescription.

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Strength training during pregnancy

Citation: 

Redondo-Delgado et al. (2025). “Effects of strength training on quality of life in pregnant women: A systematic review.” Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. DOI: 10.1111/aogs.15122. 

This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting or modifying an exercise programme during pregnancy.

https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aogs.15122