Staying active during pregnancy is not only safe for most women, but it is also one of the best things you can do for both mother and baby.

The Empowered Motherhood Program (EMP) was created to make this easier. It combines pilates and resistance training with clear trimester-specific modifications and education, allowing women to move confidently throughout their pregnancy.

If you were active before becoming pregnant, then it is safe for you to maintain higher weekly training volumes, as long as symptoms are monitored and loads are adjusted as needed (Bains et al., 2025).

Professional bodies, including RANZCOG, ACOG, and the Canadian guidelines, all strongly encourage regular physical activity before and during pregnancy (Mottola et al., 2018; ACOG, 2021; RANZCOG, 2023).

Benefits of Exercise in Pregnancy

•  Cardiometabolic health: Reduces the risk of gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes, especially when resistance training is included (Prevett et al., 2024).

•  Mental health: Active women have about half the risk of perinatal anxiety and depression compared with inactive women (Prevett et al., 2024).

•  Birth outcomes: Lower risk of fetal macrosomia and no increase in preterm birth, assisted delivery or caesarean section (Prevett et al., 2024; RANZCOG, 2023).

•  Fetal safety: Moderate to vigorous exercise does not impair uterine or umbilical blood flow; typical maternal core temperature stays safely <39 °C (Skow et al., 2019; Ravanelli et al., 2019; Smallcombe et al., 2021; Davenport et al., 2019).

•  For highly active women: Training more than 300 minutes a week late in pregnancy has not been linked to adverse neonatal outcomes when load and symptoms are monitored (Bains et al., 2025; Sperstad et al., 2016).

•  Lactation & long-term: Vigorous exercise does not reduce milk supply or quality and is linked to healthier perinatal growth and a lower risk of childhood obesity (Lovelady et al., 1990; Dewey & McCrory, 1994; Chen et al., 2021). 

If you have a healthy pregnancy, you can often continue exercising, but some workouts may need to be modified as your body changes. EMP provides physiotherapist-designed workouts that are tailored for each stage of pregnancy, helping you exercise safely and confidently. Always check with your healthcare provider if you're unsure.

Yes. Safe pregnancy-specific core exercises can be very beneficial during pregnancy. They can help support your posture, reduce back pain, strengthen your pelvic floor, and prepare your body for birth and recovery. The key is choosing exercises that are appropriate for your stage of pregnancy and avoiding movements that create too much pressure through the tummy.

Definitely. As a physio-led program, it is really important to us that you learn how to stregnthen and protect your pelvic floor during pregnancy, and prepare it for birth.

Our physiotherapist-designed programs include dedicated pelvic floor and deep core exercises. These help you reduce pregnancy-related complications such as lower back pain, pelvic girdle pain and incontinence, help you to prepare for birth, and support postnatal recovery.

No problem! You can join EMP at any stage of pregnancy. Our workouts include trimester-specific guidance and modifications to help you exercise safely and confidently wherever you are in your pregnancy journey.