Exercise during pregnancy has a wide range of benefits, from reducing aches and pains, to decreasing complications, improving the health of your baby, and helping you recover more quickly after birth.
As pregnancy progresses, however, many traditional cardio exercises need to be modified. Changes in alignment, stability, and intra-abdominal pressure can make certain high-impact or core-intensive moves less appropriate — or simply less comfortable.
That does not mean cardio is off the table. In many cases, a few smart regressions can help you keep moving, keep your heart rate up, and continue training in a way that better supports your changing body.
Below, you’ll find general cardio exercise guidelines for pregnancy, along with modifications for six common cardio exercises.
Read On to Learn
- How to modify cardio during pregnancy as your body changes
- Why RPE is a better measure of exercise intensity than heart rate
- How decreased stability and intra-abdominal pressure affect exercise selection
- Pregnancy-safe alternatives for six common cardio exercises
- How to recognize when a movement should be regressed
Quick Answer: Many traditional cardio exercises need to be modified during pregnancy as changes in alignment, stability, and intra-abdominal pressure occur. Using RPE to guide intensity, watching for signs like coning, leaking, or instability, and swapping high-impact movements for lower-impact alternatives can help you continue training safely and effectively throughout pregnancy.
How to Modify Cardio During Pregnancy
1. Use RPE instead of heart rate
During pregnancy, your heart rate response to exercise becomes more variable. This means your heart rate is no longer an accurate gauge of your exertion. Instead, use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). On a scale of 1 – 10, aim to stay within a 6 – 8 during pregnancy. If you are accustomed to high-intensity exercise, you may be able to work up to an 8.5, provided it feels okay for you.
2. Be mindful of decreased stability
During pregnancy, there is an increase in the hormone relaxin. Just as the name sounds, relaxin works to relax the joints, ligaments, and other connective tissues, to allow the body to make space for the growing baby, and to provide the mobility needed for birth. A consequence of this soft tissue laxity is that it can increase mobility and decrease stability. Relaxin impacts every person differently. Some may not feel its effects at all, whereas others will experience much greater changes. Just be mindful that you may feel a bit more “wobbly,” especially in your pelvic hip region. If you do feel a bit less stable, regress single-leg moves like lunges – especially ballistic single-leg movements, like jump lunges.
3. Manage intra-abdominal pressure
As your belly grows during pregnancy, it increases your intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), or the pressure within your core. Activities, exercises, or behaviors that further increase IAP could increase the severity of Diastasis Recti or increase the risk of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. This is the reason many cardio and core exercises need to be modified during pregnancy. Watch for coning in your belly, which is a sign that the movement you’re performing is currently too much for your core muscles and should be taken down a notch.
Pregnancy-Safe Cardio Modifications for 6 Common Exercises
Each high-impact move below includes a lower-impact alternative that accomplishes a similar goal in a more pregnancy-appropriate way. Click the link or the photo to watch a video demo. Have fun experimenting with these. Each option can be customized to make the intensity higher or lower based on how you feel.
1. Instead of High Knee Runs: Try High Knee Marches
A common modification for high knee runs is a lighter jog in place. That may be fine if it feels good in your body, but High Knee Marches are often an even better option. They remove the impact entirely while still getting your heart pumping. They also combine cardio with core control because of the high knee lift. Exhale each time you lift your knee, and keep your trunk in neutral alignment. Avoid hunching forward as your knee comes up.
2. Instead of Jumping Jacks: Try Squat with Side Step
The classic no-impact jumping jack regression is the “half jack,” but it often does not feel like much of a workout. Instead, try a Squat with Side Step. It removes the impact while still keeping your heart rate up. It also adds lower-body strength work.
To make it more of a strength move, hold a weight. To make it more of a cardio move, remove the weight and increase your tempo.
3. Instead of Mountain Climbers: Try Diagonal Lifts
Mountain climbers can be a great cardio and core exercise when you are not pregnant. During the second trimester, or once you have a small-to-medium belly, begin regressing them by removing the impact and slowing the movement down. Once your belly gets larger, or if you see coning in your belly, try the Diagonal Lifts instead. This gives you a cardio and core alternative without the same direct downward pressure on the abdominal wall. You can use a light 3–5 lb weight or no weight at all.
You can also do High Knee Marches, shown in #1 (which combine cardio + core with the high knee lift).
4. Instead of Jump Squats: Try Reach Down & Up
The highly customizable Reach Down & Up removes the impact of jump squats while still allowing you to keep the intensity.
For the highest-intensity version, use a full range of motion and pick up your tempo. To make it easier, decrease your range of motion by placing your hands above your knees or on a stool instead of reaching toward the floor.
Inhale on the way down and exhale as you reach up. Keep your spine in neutral alignment and lower only as far as you can without rounding forward.
5. Instead of Burpees: Try Modified Incline Burpees
When you first begin modifying burpees, start by stepping back into the plank one foot at a time instead of jumping back.
As your belly grows, perform the plank portion on an incline. Focus on a strong exhale as you extend into the plank position, and keep your body in neutral alignment with a straight line from ear to shoulder to hip to knee to ankle.
6. Instead of Jump Lunges: Try Knee Repeaters
Jump lunges are typically best avoided for most of pregnancy because of the potential for pelvic instability from hormonal changes. Even if you’re not feeling the effects of relaxin, your hormones continue to change, so it may not be worth the risk, especially when there are other beneficial moves that can accomplish the same goal. Knee Repeaters are a strong lower-body and cardio alternative. They get your heart pumping without the same impact or single-leg ballistic demand. To increase the challenge, bend deeper into your supporting leg. Exhale every time you lift your knee, and keep your spine neutral instead of hunching forward.
Cardio during pregnancy does not have to mean pushing through movements that no longer feel right, nor does it mean giving up intensity altogether. With the right modifications, you can keep moving, keep your heart pumping, and choose exercises that better support your changing body.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cardio During Pregnancy
Do I need to stop doing cardio during pregnancy?
No. Exercise during pregnancy offers many benefits, and cardio can remain part of your routine throughout pregnancy. As your body changes, however, some traditional cardio exercises may need to be modified to account for changes in alignment, stability, and intra-abdominal pressure.
How do I know if a cardio exercise needs to be modified?
Watch for signs that a movement is no longer appropriate for your body, such as coning in the belly, difficulty maintaining neutral alignment, accidental leakage (urinary or fecal), or feeling unstable or in pain during the exercise. These are indicators that a regression may be beneficial.
Can I still do high-intensity cardio during pregnancy?
Many people can continue exercising at higher intensities during pregnancy. Rather than using heart rate, use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to gauge intensity. Using a 1 – 10 scale, where 1 = minimal exertion (like gentle walking) and 10 = maximal exertion (like a full sprint), staying within an RPE range of 6-8 is recommended. If you are accustomed to high-intensity work, you may be able to work up to an 8.5 if it feels okay. That said, some high-intensity moves may need to be modified for reasons other than intensity (see below).
Why are high-impact exercises often modified during pregnancy?
As pregnancy progresses, changes in stability, alignment, and intra-abdominal pressure can make some high-impact exercises less suitable. Modifying these movements can help you maintain the training effect while reducing unnecessary stress on the body.