Let me start by saying that I am not a doctor and I am not giving medical advice. I am only speaking from my own personal experience, and I am grateful to be able to share that experience with you.
I have been working out for 12 years and I have gone through two pregnancies. And if there is one thing I learned, it is that every pregnancy, every body, and every woman’s experience is completely different.
Before I got pregnant with my oldest daughter, I was working out very inconsistently. Not long before that, I had met my boyfriend, and you probably know how that goes. When you are in that “honeymoon phase,” your personal priorities can shift for a little while 🤣
One important difference I want to mention is that during and before my first pregnancy, I was experimenting with a vegan lifestyle. Because of that, I was generally eating a lot less protein during that pregnancy than I do now.
When I got pregnant with my daughter, I did try to keep going to the gym. But very quickly, the nausea took over. After that, I accepted that movement for me at that time was going to look more like walking and stretching.
I had also experienced a miscarriage before getting pregnant with my daughter, so naturally, fear played a big role in how I experienced that pregnancy. The thought of doing anything that could possibly increase the risk of losing her made it hard for me to fully trust my body and continue exercising the way I may have wanted to.
After that pregnancy, my recovery was harder for me both physically and mentally. It took me longer to feel like ‘myself’ again than it did after my second pregnancy.
Then, about three and a half years later, I got pregnant with my son.
By that time, life looked very different. I was no longer in that early relationship bubble, I had already been consistently working out again for over a year, I was eating high protein, and my diet had become much more balanced, whole-food based, and nourishing overall.
That pregnancy felt completely different from the start.
I ended up working out throughout almost my entire second pregnancy. And if you want to see more of the workouts and exercises I did during that time, I documented a lot of it on my YouTube channel.
During the first few weeks of my second pregnancy, I was still going to the gym and honestly didn’t feel much different at first. But pretty quickly, the nausea hit again and I could barely keep anything down.
That was mentally hard for me because I had gone into that pregnancy telling myself, “This time, I’m going to keep working out.”
But once again, I had to surrender to what my body needed.
During those weeks, my main focus became giving my baby the micro and macro nutrients he needed for healthy growth and doing my best to continue eating balanced, whole, nourishing foods whenever I could.
Then around 18 weeks, I woke up one day and realized I didn’t feel nauseous anymore.
So I decided to go back to the gym.
And to my surprise, it felt amazing.
My strength was still there, my body remembered. Of course, by that point I had started showing, so certain exercises needed to be modified. Squats and lunges felt different, and hip thrusts didn’t feel comfortable for me anymore.
But from 18 weeks all the way until five days before giving birth, I worked out consistently.
And this is what I learned from that experience.
The first thing I learned is that perfection does not exist, especially not during pregnancy.
Some weeks I had way more energy than others. Some weeks I felt strong and motivated, and other weeks I felt tired, heavy, and slower.
Consistency did not always look the same.
And that is something I think more women need to hear.
Consistency during pregnancy does not mean pushing yourself to perform the same way every single week. It means staying connected to your body and continuing to show up in a way that supports you in the season you are in.
The second thing I learned is that my body was capable of so much more than I thought.
I was able to maintain most of my regular fitness routine much later into pregnancy than I ever expected. The only thing that changed was that I had to modify and adjust as I went.
Before pregnancy, I was deadlifting around 80 kg. Close to the end of my pregnancy, 40 kg felt good and supportive for my body.
And that was enough.
That shift taught me so much about ego, strength, and listening inward.
Pregnancy really taught me that strength is not always about pushing harder. Sometimes strength is knowing when to soften, when to adapt, and when to honor your body without guilt.
One of the biggest benefits I personally noticed from working out during pregnancy was how mobile and flexible I stayed.
I didn’t deal with a lot of physical discomfort. I didn’t have many of the aches, heaviness, or body complaints I expected. Physically, I felt really supported by movement.
But honestly, the mental and emotional benefits were just as powerful.
Most days, I was definitely tired. And if you are pregnant while also running after a toddler all day, you know there are not always a lot of naps involved.
But despite the tiredness, I felt mentally grounded. I felt emotionally stable. I felt connected to myself.
And that was huge for me.
Working out during pregnancy gave me structure, a sense of normalcy, and a way to stay in touch with my body as it was changing.
It reminded me that even though my body was doing something incredible and completely different, it was still mine. It still belonged to me. And I could still support it in a loving and intentional way.
Looking back, I also believe that staying active during pregnancy may have supported my circulation, posture, mobility, muscle endurance, and even my overall confidence throughout the process.
But what stood out to me the most was my recovery after birth.
As difficult as it sometimes felt to keep up with my workout routine while pregnant, I truly believe it made a huge difference in how I recovered.
After giving birth, I was able to walk right away and move around much more comfortably. I did not feel nearly as physically bruised or depleted as I did after my first birth.
My uterus returned to its original state faster. My cycle balanced out sooner. Physically, I felt like myself again much faster.
After just three days, I felt good enough to start going on short walks outside, which I slowly built up over time.
And after six weeks, I was able to return to working out and slowly rebuild my routine in a gentle and sustainable way.
What also surprised me was that I did not feel like I had to start completely from zero. My strength was still there to some degree, which told me that my body had held onto more muscle than I expected.
And as a woman who genuinely loves movement and fitness, that gave me a lot of confidence and gratitude.
So, is working out during pregnancy safe?
The truth is, this is a very individual experience.
Every woman, every pregnancy, every trimester, and every body is different. What feels safe, supportive, and good for one woman may not feel that way for another.
But I do think most women already know the answer within themselves.
A woman’s intuition is one of the strongest things we have.
And when you truly listen to your body, honor its signals, and move in a way that feels supportive instead of forceful, that inner wisdom will guide you.
For me, working out during pregnancy was one of the best things I could have done for both my physical and mental well-being.
It reminded me that fitness does not always have to look intense to be powerful.
Sometimes it simply looks like staying connected to your body, trusting your intuition, and continuing to choose yourself through every season of life.
