If you’ve been experiencing pain in the front of your pelvis during pregnancy — especially with walking, climbing stairs, rolling in bed, or getting in and out of the car — you may be dealing with a common type of pelvic girdle pain called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD).
SPD can feel sharp, intense, and frustrating, but the good news is that the right exercise and movement modifications can often make a significant difference.
Read on to learn:
- Symptoms of SPD
- Common causes of SPD during pregnancy
- 6 exercises that can help manage or prevent SPD
- Movements to avoid if you are experiencing symptoms
- Additional tools and resources for support
Quick Answer: SPD during pregnancy is a common type of pelvic girdle pain felt at the front of the pelvis, often worsening with walking, stairs, rolling in bed, or single-leg movements. It is typically caused by pregnancy-related alignment changes, hormonal shifts that increase pelvic mobility, and the added load placed on the pelvis as pregnancy progresses. Exercises that improve pelvic stability — especially glute and deep core strengthening — can help manage or prevent symptoms, while movements that place uneven stress on the pelvis may need to be temporarily modified if pain is present.
Symptoms of SPD
The most common symptom of SPD is severe pain in the pubic area (the front of the pelvis). For some people, the pain stays localized there. For others, it can radiate into the upper thighs or perineum (the area between the anus and vagina).
SPD symptoms are often aggravated by single-leg activity or movements that place uneven stress on the pelvis. Common triggers include:
- Walking
- Running
- Climbing stairs
- Getting in and out of the car
- Rolling in bed
- Widening the legs
Similar to SI Joint Pain — another type of pelvic girdle pain that occurs in the back of the pelvis — SPD symptoms often worsen as pregnancy progresses and pelvic stability decreases.
Common Causes of SPD During Pregnancy
Pain is felt when there is increased stress on the pubic symphysis joint (circled in red below), which connects your left and right pelvic bones at the bottom of your pelvis.
During pregnancy, several changes can increase stress on the pubic symphysis joint:
- Pregnancy Alignment Shifts: Pregnancy tends to pull the body out of neutral alignment — often tipping the pelvis forward into an anterior pelvic tilt, as you can see in the image below. At the same time, your center of gravity shifts up and forward as the belly grows. Together, these changes place more stress on the front of the pelvis.
- Hormonal Changes: Pregnancy hormones — especially relaxin — loosen the ligaments and soft tissues around the pelvis to prepare the body for birth. While this added mobility is normal and necessary, it can also reduce pelvic stability and allow more movement at the pubic symphysis joint, which may contribute to pain.
- Increased body weight:As pregnancy progresses, the increased weight elevates the forces going through the pelvis, which accentuates the two issues above.
Note: Since some hormonal changes from pregnancy continue into the postpartum period, the increased mobility and decreased stability could still be present after giving birth (there is debate as to how long this period lasts), so that is why SPD can also occur in the postpartum period.
6 Exercises that Can Help Manage or Prevent SPD
Now that you understand what contributes to SPD, let’s focus on the strategies that can help support pelvic stability, reduce stress on the pubic symphysis joint, and improve day-to-day comfort.
1. Find Neutral Alignment: This is not technically an exercise, but it is one of the most important strategies for managing SPD symptoms. Pregnancy often pulls the body out of neutral alignment, especially at the pelvis. Learning to find and maintain a more neutral position can help reduce stress on the pubic symphysis joint throughout the day — particularly during long periods of standing or walking.
2. 360° Breathing: The deep core muscles — including the diaphragm, transverse abdominis, and pelvic floor — help stabilize the pelvis. Begin with 360° Breathing (the #1 most effective core exercise)
o help these muscles work together more effectively. Once you’ve mastered it, practice incorporating it into the exercises below.(as demonstrated in the video).
3. Pelvic Floor Activations (PFAs):
The pelvic floor muscles play an important role in pelvic stability. Strengthening and coordinating these muscles can help better support the pelvis and reduce excess stress on the pubic symphysis joint. Watch this video to learn a step-by-step process to first find your pelvic floor muscles (HINT: they’re not just your “pee-stopping” muscles), then learn how to perform PFAs.
4. Bridges: Your glutes work together with your core to stabilize the pelvis, making glute strengthening an important part of managing SPD symptoms. Bridges are especially helpful because they strengthen the glutes while keeping the pelvis in a stable position.
5. Ground Pickup (or Deadlift): The Ground Pickup is essentially a deadlift, but we use this term intentionally so it translates directly to daily life. Learning to hinge properly while maintaining neutral alignment helps strengthen the glutes and improve pelvic stability during everyday lifting tasks.
6. Incline Plank: Incline planks are a great way to strengthen the core and support the front of the pelvis without placing excessive pressure on the abdominal wall as pregnancy progresses.
Exercises & Movements to Avoid (If You Are Experiencing SPD Symptoms)
If you are currently experiencing SPD pain, the goal is to minimize movements that place uneven stress on the pelvis or increase irritation at the pubic symphysis joint. These modifications are typically temporary and symptom-dependent.
- Single-leg exercises: Lunges, step-ups, and other single-leg movements place more load on one side of the pelvis at a time, which can aggravate symptoms. Instead, focus on bilateral movements like squats, bridges, and deadlifts that keep the load more evenly distributed.
- Impact Movements: Running, jumping, and other high-impact or ballistic movements can increase irritation when the pelvis is already more mobile and sensitive during pregnancy.
- Wide legs positions: Movements that spread the legs wide apart — such as wide pliés, straddle positions, or aggressive inner-thigh stretching — can place additional strain on the pubic symphysis joint. If stretching the groin or inner thighs feels helpful, stick to gentle single-side stretches instead.
Remember, these recommendations apply when symptoms are present. If you are not experiencing SPD pain, you do not necessarily need to avoid these movements altogether.
Support Garment to Help Address Pain
If you are experiencing SPD symptoms, a compression garment can provide additional pelvic support alongside the exercises and movement modifications above. We recommend the range from SRC Health, which offers supportive garments designed specifically for pregnancy and postpartum wear. Use code PRONATAL10 for 10% off.
SPD and pelvic girdle pain are some of the most common issues fitness and healthcare professionals encounter when supporting pregnant and postpartum clients.
Are you a Health & Fitness Professional?
Want to learn how to help your pregnant clients prevent many other pregnancy-induced pains & injuries? Discover how to successfully prepare your clients for the demands of pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood in the Pre & Postnatal Fitness Specialist Certification.
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Medical Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes, to be used as general information only. It should not be considered medical advice nor should there be an assumption of a doctor-patient relationship. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment as a result of any information provided in this document.