How Can Personal Trainers Safely Train Pregnant Clients?
Personal trainers can safely train pregnant clients, and when done right, an exercise program can become one of the most helpful tools in their entire pregnancy journey. The right movement helps reduce discomfort, supports healthy weight gain, and keeps their energy and confidence up when everything else feels like it’s shifting.
I’ll never forget the moment one of my long-time clients sat across from me, clutching her iced coffee like it was holding her together, and asked, “Can I still squat?” That question wasn’t just about a movement; it was about fear, identity, and the unknown. As trainers, we aren’t just counting reps anymore. We’re coaching women through a time that demands both physical strength and emotional support.
If you’re training pregnant women or plan to, this guide breaks down the essential prenatal exercises every personal trainer should know. You’ll learn how to adjust safely, avoid common mistakes, and build a program that makes your client feel strong, safe, and seen through every trimester.
What Are the Benefits of Prenatal Exercise for Your Clients?
Prenatal exercise is safe for most healthy pregnancies and offers powerful physical benefits, including strengthening pelvic floor muscles, and mental health benefits. As a trainer, helping your client stay active supports healthy weight gain, reduces pregnancy discomfort, improves sleep, and even makes labor a little less intense.
The Mayo Clinic highlights several benefits of regular physical activity during pregnancy, including reduced back pain, improved mood, lower risk of gestational diabetes, and a decreased chance of cesarean delivery. They recommend about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week for most pregnant individuals, assuming there are no medical complications.
For your clients, this isn’t about “getting their body back.” It’s about helping them feel stronger and more in control during a time when everything feels like it’s shifting. When you design workouts that meet their changing needs, you’re not just giving them exercises; you’re giving them confidence, stability, and a deeper connection to their body as it prepares for one of the biggest physical events of their life.
Want to see which training areas are expanding and how prenatal fitness fits into the big picture? Check out this breakdown of fitness niches for personal trainers.
What Are the Best Prenatal Exercises for Each Trimester?
The best prenatal exercises change with each trimester and your job as a trainer is to meet your client where they are, physically and mentally. The right movement will ease pain, reduce stress, and keep their body strong enough to handle the extra weight and shifting posture.
Most clients benefit from a mix of aerobic activity, light strength work, and pelvic floor exercises. But how that looks will shift as the pregnancy progresses. Here’s how I help my clients move safely and confidently in each stage:
What Should Clients Do in the First Trimester (Weeks 1–12)?
In the first trimester, focus on maintaining, not progressing. This is when many clients feel wiped out, queasy, and emotional. The workouts should feel doable, not draining.
Try this:
- Brisk walking – 20 to 30 minutes is enough to lift energy and stabilize mood. Plus, it’s easy on the joints.
- Stationary cycling – Great for cardio without the fall risk.
- Pelvic floor exercises – Kegels help build control early, which can prevent leaks later.
- Light strength training – Use resistance bands or light dumbbells to maintain tone in the shoulders, glutes, and legs. Stick to 2–3 sets, low reps.
Avoid:
- Hot yoga – Raises core body temp, which can be unsafe in early pregnancy.
- Contact sports – They have too much risk.
- Flat-on-back positions after 12 weeks – Can restrict blood flow.
Trainer tip: Use the “talk test.” If she can’t hold a convo while moving, the intensity’s too high.
What Should Clients Do in the Second Trimester (Weeks 13–27)?
The second trimester is usually the easiest time to train. Nausea fades, energy returns, and your client may feel more like herself again. But her belly is growing, and that changes her balance and center of gravity, so keep things grounded and supportive.
Try this:
- Prenatal yoga – Improves posture and eases tension in the hips, shoulders, and back.
- Swimming – Great full-body, no-impact cardio. Buoyancy = relief for pelvic pressure.
- Side planks or seated core work – Supports abdominal muscles without strain.
- Strength training – Think lunges with chair support, wall push-ups, or glute bridges. Aim for lower body, core stability, and posterior chain.
Balance shifts. Always cue slow transitions, and use walls or benches for support.
What Should Clients Do in the Third Trimester (Weeks 28–Birth)?
In the third trimester, her body is working 24/7. The goal now is to stay mobile, manage swelling, and prep the pelvic floor for delivery. Exercises should feel good, not forced.
Try this:
- Gentle prenatal Pilates or yoga – Reduces pelvic and back pain, promotes relaxation.
- Short walks – Even 10–15 minutes after meals can improve digestion and reduce swelling.
- Daily pelvic floor work – This keeps muscles responsive and reduces the chances of urinary incontinence postpartum.
- Deep breathing with movement – Builds mind-body awareness and eases stress.
Avoid anything that causes dizziness, calf pain, shortness of breath, or just feels “off.” Encourage her to pause without guilt.
Trainer tip: Remind her that tuning in is strength, not weakness. The goal is sustainability, not sweat.
What Are the Best Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy?
The best pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy are Kegels, bridges, and deep breathing paired with diaphragmatic control. These strengthen the muscles around your bladder, uterus, and rectum, helping prevent leakage and supporting birth recovery.
Picture this: You’re sitting upright, feet flat, hip-width apart, and taking a deep breath in. Now, as you exhale, squeeze the muscles you’d use to stop the flow of urine, then release. That’s a Kegel.
Try doing:
- 10 Kegels, 3 times a day
- Glute bridges, slowly lifting hips while lying on your side (not flat)
- Elevator breaths, where you slowly contract the pelvic floor in stages
Researchers from the University of Oslo found that consistent pelvic floor training during pregnancy can reduce the risk of tearing during delivery and improve postpartum recovery.
Which Exercises Should Personal Trainers Avoid With Pregnant Clients?
When designing prenatal programs, personal trainers must avoid exercises that could compromise client safety or increase discomfort—especially as pregnancy progresses.
Here’s what not to include in your programming:
- Supine exercises after 12 weeks
Lying flat on the back can restrict blood flow due to the weight of the uterus. Replace with side-lying, seated, or elevated alternatives. - High-intensity or breath-holding lifts
Avoid heavy straining (like max-effort deadlifts or overhead presses) and anything requiring a Valsalva maneuver. These spike intra-abdominal pressure. - Unstable or unilateral movements without support
Step-ups, lunges, or single-leg deadlifts can aggravate pelvic instability. Use walls, chairs, or reduce the range of motion. - Deep spinal flexion or rotation
Crunches, Russian twists, and sit-ups place unnecessary strain on the linea alba, increasing the risk of diastasis recti. - Movements that trigger symptoms
Always pause programming if your client reports dizziness, pelvic pressure, calf cramping, leaking fluid, or any pain that feels “off.”
Think of your role as movement facilitator—not progression driver. Prioritize core support, circulation, and emotional comfort over challenge or intensity.
How Can I Build an Effective Prenatal Exercise Routine?
A good prenatal exercise routine balances consistency, comfort, and core support. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
Here’s a sample weekly routine I built for one of my clients in her second trimester:
- Monday – 30-minute walk + pelvic floor work
- Tuesday – Strength (bodyweight squats, seated rows, wall pushups)
- Wednesday – Prenatal yoga
- Thursday – 20-minute swim
- Friday – Strength (glute bridges, side leg lifts, seated bicep curls)
- Saturday – Rest or light stretching
- Sunday – Leisure walk with family or dog (bonus: bonding time)
This mix of aerobic exercise, core work, and stretching supports joint health, reduces aches, and helps with weight management. And if you miss a day? No shame. Just get back to it.
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What’s the Connection Between Mental Health and Exercise During Pregnancy?
Exercise during pregnancy supports mental health by reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress while also engaging core muscles. Movement increases endorphins, improves sleep, and gives structure to your day when your body feels unpredictable.
A study published in Psychology & Health showed that pregnant women who engaged in regular exercise reported less fatigue and better moods throughout their pregnancies compared to those who were inactive.
One client told me that prenatal yoga became her “therapy with stretch pants.” Another swore that 10 minutes of walking each morning was what kept her from biting her partner’s head off by noon.
It’s not just about the body. It’s about feeling strong, stable, and capable when everything else feels out of your control.
Supporting your client’s emotional health? This guide on the benefits of exercise on mental health explains how movement supports mood, sleep, and stress management—especially helpful during pregnancy.
Can Personal Trainers Help With Prenatal Exercise?
Yes, certified personal trainers who are trained in prenatal fitness can help pregnant women exercise safely by tailoring routines to each trimester, correcting form, and spotting warning signs.
If you’re a personal trainer working with expecting clients, you need liability insurance. Accidents can happen, even when you’re careful. Pregnancy comes with increased risk, and you need to protect yourself professionally.
Insure Fitness offers affordable liability coverage that includes prenatal and postnatal training. It’s simple, it’s fast, and it gives both you and your clients peace of mind. Whether you’re cueing squats or spotting lunges, one misstep shouldn’t cost you your business.
Here’s exactly why professional liability insurance matters—especially when you’re working with higher-risk populations like pregnant women.
Is It Safe to Stay Active During Pregnancy?
Yes, staying active during pregnancy is safe for most healthy women, helps regulate blood pressure and it’s one of the best things you can do for your body and your baby. Just listen to your body, adapt when needed, and always check in with your healthcare provider.
Pregnancy isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters: moving with intention, breathing with awareness, and trusting your body to tell you what it needs.
Whether you’re a trainer supporting someone through those 40 wild weeks or you’re living it yourself (with swollen ankles and all), remember: consistency matters more than perfection.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Prenatal Exercise for Personal Trainers
Can pregnant clients still do core exercises?
Yes, pregnant clients can safely do core exercises, but not all of them. Once the belly starts to grow, traditional abdominal exercises like crunches or anything lying flat on the back should be avoided. Instead, focus on gentle movements like seated knee lifts, side planks, and exercise sitting upright with proper posture, think shoulder blades pulled gently back, feet flat, and spine tall. These help protect the pubic bone, support balance, and strengthen deep core muscles without straining the abdomen.
What exercises should I avoid with clients who experience pelvic pain?
Avoid anything that puts uneven pressure on the pelvic floor or causes your client to shift weight onto just one leg, like single-leg squats or step-ups especially if they’re already dealing with pelvic pain. Instead, focus on exercises that evenly distribute weight and encourage controlled movement from a strong starting position (think hip-width stance, soft knees, and active glutes). Movements that cause sharp pain near the left side, right leg, or pubic area should be stopped immediately.
How can I modify strength training for pregnant clients?
Stick with major muscle groups, go light on weights, and gradually work through controlled ranges of motion. You can safely include movements like seated rows, wall pushups, and glute bridges. Just avoid strenuous exercise that pushes beyond their current fitness level. Always remind your client to slowly bend their knees and slowly lower during strength work to reduce pressure on joints and ligaments.
What’s a safe way to train balance as pregnancy progresses?
As the belly grows and balance shifts, have your client use a wall or chair for support during anything involving one leg. Think about starting position, then cue them to lift the left leg or right knee just a few inches and hold for 3–5 seconds. Want to level up? Alternate with the other leg, and keep the other foot grounded and stable. These small balance drills build stability and activate core muscles without the risk.
How often should pregnant clients exercise?
For most active women with low-risk pregnancies, aim for around 150 minutes a week of exercise activities like walking, yoga, light strength, or swimming. Encourage a daily routine that includes both movement and rest. For example, walking 20 minutes in the morning, stretching at night, or doing core work sitting on a stability ball while watching TV.
When should a client stop exercising?
Stop immediately if your client feels dizzy, short of breath, or has pain in the belly or legs (like cramping in the right leg or calf pain). Also pause if she feels a pulling sensation around the pubic bone, especially during abdominal exercises. And always avoid training at high altitude or in conditions where she may overheat. Encourage her to drink plenty of water before, during, and after workouts—hydration is important.
Can prenatal workouts benefit women with high-risk pregnancies?
Some high risk pregnancies may still allow for gentle movement, but only under direct guidance from a physical therapist or OB-GYN. In those cases, you’ll likely follow a more specific, supervised program. There are still many benefits to breathing exercises, pelvic floor work, and very light strength routines—but they must be approved first.
Should pregnant clients avoid standing for long periods during training?
Yes, standing for long periods can cause swelling, back pain, and fatigue. Switch between standing and seated exercises, or try floor-based stretches on the left side to ease circulation. Alternate between starting positions to avoid putting too much pressure on one area of the body.
