5 exercises that can prevent (and relieve!) pregnancy pain

Moving Through Pregnancy: Five Strength-Building Moves for Comfort

Ecorescuezone.com – Pregnancy brings wonderful changes, but it also introduces a host of physical challenges that many expectant mothers didn’t anticipate. From swollen ankles to sharp pelvic pain, the journey through nine months of growth can feel like navigating a minefield of discomfort. Fortunately, targeted movement can make a significant difference in how you feel throughout your pregnancy and beyond.

As your body adapts to accommodate a growing baby, internal pressure systems shift dramatically. This transformation can trigger pain, instability, and unusual sensations that leave many women wondering whether what they’re experiencing is normal. Pregnancy and postpartum physical therapists emphasize that proactive movement strategies can help manage these changes effectively.

Building a Foundation for Comfort

Physical therapist Krystle Howald, who operates Expecting and Empowered—a platform dedicated to pregnancy and postpartum fitness—believes that many pregnancy-related discomforts are entirely preventable with the right approach. “I wish people knew a lot of things are preventable during pregnancy,” she notes, highlighting the power of intentional movement.

Howald recommends five specific movements suitable for women in every trimester of pregnancy. The goal is to perform two sets of these exercises three times weekly as part of your overall strength routine, continuing them throughout your entire pregnancy journey.

These exercises also count toward the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week for pregnant women. Additionally, incorporating daily stretching can further enhance your comfort levels.

Dr. Ana Cepin, director of community women’s health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, advises stopping any exercise if you experience dizziness, shortness of breath, or chest pain. Our form guidance comes from Amy Kiefer, certified personal trainer and co-founder of Expecting and Empowered, alongside Holly Keskey-Koester, a seasoned fitness instructor.

Addressing the Pregnancy Waddle

That distinctive waddling gait many deeply pregnant women adopt isn’t just a cute quirk—it’s your body’s natural compensation mechanism. Howald explains that this movement pattern occurs as your pelvis bears additional weight and your ligaments loosen in preparation for birth. “It means our feet are slowly drifting outward and our hips are rotating outward too,” she explains.

This altered gait can contribute to pelvic discomfort or exacerbate existing back and sciatica issues. Side-to-side exercises help maintain lateral hip control and counteract this tendency. Banded walks are particularly effective, as are side-lying leg lifts, lateral lunges, and glute bridges for strengthening hip stabilizers.

Banded Walks: Step into your resistance band and position it above each ankle. Spread your legs sufficiently to create tension in the band. With knees slightly bent, step sideways with your leading leg while stretching the band. Keep tension as your trailing leg follows. Complete 20 repetitions across the length of a yoga mat and back.

Glute Bridges: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, positioning heels approximately 6 to 8 inches from your glutes. Place your hands by your sides with palms down for support. If available, position an exercise ball between your knees. Squeeze your glutes, engage your core, and press your heels into the floor to lift your hips toward the ceiling while gently compressing the ball. Complete 15 repetitions.

Strengthening Your Deep Core

Howald describes your transverse abdominis—your deep core—as “like your own personal pair of Spanx.” This crucial muscle layer wraps around your spine, supporting internal organs and maintaining upright posture. “So we want to learn how to use the Spanx if we can,” she says.

Strengthening your deep core provides an additional benefit: supporting your pelvic floor muscles. Janelle Frederick, a pelvic floor physical therapist, explains, “They’re the muscles that need to open when it’s time for the baby to come through that birth canal.” Maintaining pelvic floor strength during pregnancy can help prevent complications such as hemorrhoids or urinary leakage.

In your first trimester, incorporating bear crawls, side planks, and bird dogs can reduce later pregnancy discomforts including pelvic girdle pain—often called lightning crotch, a sharp sensation caused by the baby pressing on nerves near the lower uterus. During your second trimester, bird dogs and heel slides may help prevent diastasis recti, the separation of abdominal muscles caused by pregnancy stretching.

Woodchops: Stand with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell with both hands and lift it high over one shoulder with straight arms and a tight core. Rotate your torso and lower the weight to your opposite hip. Complete 12 repetitions on each side.

Bird Dogs: Begin on the ground in a tabletop position. Tighten your core muscles, then simultaneously raise one arm while lifting the opposite leg. Hold briefly before returning to the starting position. Complete 10 repetitions on each side.