Last Updated on March 25, 2026
I have super exciting news. My wife and I got a healthy and beautiful baby girl! Since my wife loves writing as much as me, she decided to contribute to my blog by writing some blog posts about our baby and its influence on our outdoor activities. Is it time to stop being adventurous when having a baby? Of course not, we are finding ways to stay active in a safe way while raising our child. The first article will be about being active during pregnancy. Enjoy Joanne’s tips about how to stay active during pregnancy.
Why staying active during pregnancy is actually good for you and your baby
Not too long ago, all pregnant women were recommended to take things as easy as possible during their pregnancy. It was thought that it was hard enough to grow a whole new life inside of you, so you should not exert yourself unnecessarily with something silly like sports or physical activity. Nowadays this opinion has (thankfully) changed, due to research that showed that being active during your pregnancy is healthier for both mum and baby. The result is clear: Active mothers have less physical and mental issues during pregnancy and have a better outcome of delivery, while their babies have higher health scores after delivery and a higher chance of a higher birth weight.
As I really like being active and was dreading having to take it easy for nine months, I was relieved to find out that it is possible to still move while being pregnant if you keep a few considerations in mind. I will give you my tips in this article.
Important disclaimers before we start
I was lucky to have a healthy, normal pregnancy with only normal ailments. Not everyone has the same positive experience of pregnancy, so no pressure if you are physically or mentally simply unable to stay active. Furthermore, I am sharing my personal experiences here on staying active while being pregnant. If you have any health concerns, questions, or any (pain) symptoms that worry you, always contact your midwife, your physician, or a physical therapist (specialized in the pelvic floor).
How pregnancy changes your body and movement
Being pregnant changes your body in different ways. With your growing belly, your center of gravity changes and your sense of balance can be disturbed. The hormone relaxin causes your joints to be looser, making them more flexible but also more prone to injury. You are also more tired than normal (as you are growing a whole human inside of you) and can overheat faster. These are all things to keep in mind when choosing what kind of exercise to do during pregnancy.
What kind of exercise can you do while pregnant?
It turns out, quite many! During my pregnancy I was walking, hiking, cycling, camping, swimming and climbing. I was also doing pregnancy specific training. Here are my tips:
Pregnancy workouts, apps and classes I found helpful
- More or less the second I found out I was pregnant, I started doing pregnancy workouts at home or at the gym using an app (I used the Dutch app “SterkHer”, but the app “Mammaträning” (mama training) is available in both Swedish and English). I was really motivated to stay as strong as I could to help carry the extra load later on.
- I followed an in-person pregnancy yoga course which focused on breathing techniques and different postures that are good to use during labor. I also found nice videos from Postpartum and Pregnancy TV on YouTube (see below the introduction). I especially liked the stretching videos.
- When I got back pain (in my pelvis), I joined an aqua aerobics class for pregnant women taught by my physical therapist, which turned out to be a highlight every week. It is so nice to move around in warm water (since hot baths are a big no-no) and to get some relief from the weight of your gradually increasing belly while splashing around.
Activities to avoid (or reconsider) during pregnancy
You do want to avoid contact sports (any type of combat sports, soccer, hockey, rugby etc) where you can get hit in the stomach. It also might be wise to reconsider sports with a high fall risk, especially if you’re a beginner in these sports (cycling, skiing, climbing, etc). But this also really depends on your physical shape, skills, and experience level! I am sharing some examples of my considerations below.
- Before getting pregnant, I had just started running again after coming back from an injury. After a few weeks this started to feel really uncomfortable in my pelvic floor, like I had to go to the bathroom all the time. This was in hindsight the first sign that I was pregnant! I decided not to return to running after my pregnancy was confirmed, since I had been unable to run for nine months before getting pregnant due to my injury. Some women run throughout most of their pregnancy, but it was not for me.
- Being Dutch, I basically grew up on a bike, so I felt comfortable cycling on my gravel bike during the first and second semester when the weather and road conditions were good. I stopped cycling when autumn came with its slippery leaves on the roads, and my belly grew larger.
- I also climbed indoors on a top-rope until the middle of the second trimester. However, I stopped climbing after that, even though I used a specialized climbing harness and felt safe with it. I just thought climbing could wait until after the pregnancy, because I did not want to fall.
- I refrained from cross-country skiing and iceskating during the third trimester, because I estimated the fall risk and the consequence of a fall to be too large.
- I refrained from cold-water bathing and going to the sauna as I did not want to unnecessarily stress my body by overheating it or cooling it down too much.
But don’t despair, I am sure you still can do some of your favorite activities with a few considerations as described below!
How to stay active during pregnancy: Practical tips that actually help
So how do you actually stay active for as long as you can while pregnant? Here come my best tips:
- Adjust gear and clothing if necessary. If clothes don’t fit you anymore, you can buy (secondhand) pregnancy clothes (or clothes in a larger size), or borrow clothes from your partner/brother/male friend/female friend who has been pregnant. I was lucky enough to borrow hiking pants and later also a jacket from Jarda. You can also buy an insert for your jacket (I bought mine from Kumja) so you can still fit your own jacket when having a big belly or when carrying your baby around later. You might also need to size up in shoes depending on how much water you are retaining.
- Adjust your activity to your energy level on that day. Don’t compare yourself to others or your non-pregnant self – just consider how much energy you have on the day itself and adjust your plans accordingly.
- Listen to your body (during and after an activity). It might be that you feel great during the activity, but get some pain after. If your body does not feel as it did before the workout, make sure to adjust the intensity next time.
- Stay within your limits! You are still 3D printing a baby, this is not the time for push-up PRs or longest hikes ever. You can do most activities but it is advisable to never push it. Keep that heart rate in check and just enjoy the fact that you are still moving and doing something you love.
- Ask for help when carrying gear. If you’re doing a camping trip or some other activity for which you need lots of (heavy) equipment, ask for help with carrying the load, especially if you can’t carry a backpack comfortably.
- Bring extra water and snacks (and let your companion carry it as above ;)). You don’t necessarily need to “eat for two” but it’s good to eat when you are hungry (or nauseous) or when you just feel like you need an extra snack. And you need to drink much more water than you ever have.
- Be careful of overheating. That little bébé of yours is not called “bun in the oven” for no reason! He/she is providing you with extra heat, and it can be hard to lose that heat, especially in summer. Take breaks in the shade, don’t go out at the hottest time of the day, and drink. your. water!
- Join pregnancy classes. If your favorite activity is taught as a class, it is pretty likely that there is some sort of pregnancy version of that class! The cool thing is that they will tell you which exercises to do and how to do them (and which to avoid). It is possible to do courses both online and in person. Online courses or apps give you a lot of flexibility for where and when you do your classes at a better price. In person courses are more expensive but give you the opportunity to meet other pregnant women in your community.
- Don’t forget to train your pelvic floor. It will be under a lot of strain as the pregnancy progresses and during the delivery. There are several apps to help you train these muscles, such as the Swedish app Tät (also available in English). You might want to contact your midwife or (pelvic floor) physical therapist to help you find the right muscles to activate, as you normally activate and rest these muscles without thinking about it.
First trimester activities: Hiking and cycling at almost normal level
During my first trimester, I was extremely relieved to discover my pregnancy workout app which told me I can still be active if it feels good. I started with the workouts to be as strong as possible during the later phase of my pregnancy. Otherwise, I could still be physically active at an almost normal level, but I definitely needed more recovery time than before! I also had a fun version of morning sickness which was basically “whole day sickness” instead. Luckily, I realized that moving around at an easy pace actually helped against the nauseous feeling (as well as eating more often but smaller portions of meals or snacks). Since it was late spring/early summer, I also needed to take care not to overheat and to drink enough water. Below I share a few activities as examples:
Hiking and biking in Basque Country
We found out we were expecting our baby while on vacation! Being pregnant for the first time, I immediately started overthinking our planned activities in the Basque country and I was hyperaware of my body. I did also think that people might be able to see that I was pregnant, which is literally impossible at two weeks! I was feeling quite tired the whole week, presumably because of the early pregnancy, although we also had a quite busy travel schedule. We ended up taking an easy 5K hike up a mountain, going for a leisurely 50K tailwind bike ride (although there were many more hills to be reckoned with than I had expected) along the sunny Basque coast, and exploring a few French cities on foot.
Bike around Mälaren in Sweden
A few weeks later we made use of a public holiday and sunny weather to make an 80K bike ride around a part of lake Mälaren. We took it quite easy with gastronomical stops every 20K, as per usual. I did end up being incredibly tired the day after, which was thankfully also a day off from work for me, so I could nap to my heart’s content.
Midsummer hiking in Swedish national parks
Another few weeks passed until it was time for the traditional Midsummer weekend here in Sweden. After celebrating with friends living in a different city we decided to make a little hiking and camping trip on the way home. We made a short hike to our camping spot in National Park Tiveden before leaving our tent and backpacks and taking a significantly lighter 5K evening hike. It was beautiful but I have never seen so many midgets concentrated in the same spot! The day after I took the chance to go for a dip in the cold lake Vättern when we passed it, and we took a short 5K hike in National Park Garphyttan before driving home.
Overall, the first trimester was a nice time to remain physically active. I could still fit in my own clothes as I did not have to carry around a huge belly yet. I did have to take things easier because of nausea and tiredness.
Second trimester adventures: Camping, hiking and our Swedish road trip
During the second trimester my belly definitely started to grow! I could borrow Jarda’s hiking pants and use my widest and especially longest merino shirts (I realized that your belly literally gets so much longer when it grows!). I also started to feel increased pressure in the pelvic floor, so this would have been a really good time to start with pelvic floor exercises (spoiler: I did not start until the third trimester). Next to following my pregnancy workout program I did a pregnancy yoga course which was a little early because while the exercises were still easy, remembering the breathing techniques while actually being in labour many months later was not! The yoga course was however a nice way to let go of any stress and take some time for myself in a busy period. Read more below about a few outdoor activities I managed to fit in:
Hiking at Grinda with change of plans
During summer I had big plans to enjoy more camping! First up was a trip with my former roommate to the island Grinda in the Stockholm archipelago. The weather was really nice but the camping area offered hardly any shade (and we only discovered the available water supply quite late), so I was feeling quite overheated and dehydrated. In the end we had to adjust our plans and just took a nap and went for a little swim instead of the 15K hike (now part of the Stockholm archipelago trail) that I was hoping for. We did walk to and from the camping spot, and had to half-run to the ferry the day after (and then ended up waiting in a queue for the ferry anyway… typical!).
Recommended extra packing list for second trimester summer hike
My packing list for this trip included some extra things:
- Many (many!) snacks
- Paracetamol for pain relief
- Peeing cloth
- Sun protection and a cap (worn religiously)
- Two mattresses (one inflatable and one foam) so I could sit/lie comfortably outside of the tent on the foam mattress and sleep like a princess on both in the tent
- I did not do this, but it would have been good to pack extra water and some electrolytes since it was hot out!
Weekend hiking warriors in Marvikarna
At the end of summer I could make my hiking dreams come true when my friend and I drove to Marvikarna with our tent and ended up hiking 26K in two days (did I mention I like hiking before?). We chose this area since it had many potential hiking paths so we could be flexible about the route. There was also a parking lot close to a nice camping spot so we could leave our heavy backpacks and extra water in the car, as well as a restaurant where we could have a meal in case I would be more hungry than expected and fill up our water bottles.
Our first day went well except for some blisters, and we made 16K before having the best sleep in our tent. The day after we evaluated our condition and tiredness and with both of us feeling surprisingly good, we decided to take a “longcut” of 10K instead of 5K. We did both carry our full equipment that day, but we religiously took breaks after every hour/3K of hiking to rest our feet and eat and drink. I was really impressed with my body for being able to move for a much longer time than I had tried before (more than all the 5K easy hikes mentioned above..).
Hiking honeymoon in the north of Sweden
The hiking weekend mentioned above was a good final rehearsal for me before our roadtrip-honeymoon through Sweden following our wedding in Abisko. And a chance to do something “cool” while Jarda was suffering/enjoying his thru hike across the Lofoten islands. During the week of our honeymoon we did several 5K hikes, most of them uphill to see some nice peaks or viewpoints. I was very happy again with how my body coped with these hikes. I felt that I was heating up more easily and had to remind myself to stop and eat my snacks and drink water, but otherwise my body felt good. I was less happy about sitting for hours in our car on the way home 😉
The second trimester was overall still a very good time to be physically active, especially while being busy with planning our wedding. I was full of energy and happy to make use of that! I could still carry around the extra weight without too many problems, although additional toilet stops definitely had to be included into our plans.
Third trimester: Slowing down (but still moving)
During the third trimester I felt increasingly tired and heavy and did not get the best sleep. This meant that I had to be more careful about my energy expenditure, and sometimes (okay, often) grew frustrated that I could not do as much as I wanted in a day. Determined to stay somewhat active, I kept on doing the weekly aqua aerobics class as it was very gentle, but I switched out my weekly short hikes for weekly swims in the pool. I also turned to short yoga videos on YouTube and did one exercise session a week from my workout app. I ended up doing my last pregnancy workout the day before the delivery started!
Our adventures slowed down a lot because Jarda was recovering from knee surgery at the same time. This meant that he worked up his way from zero at a time where my mobility was slowly becoming more limited. At least it was good against FOMO to both not be at our physical peak during a magnificent winter which would have allowed for a lot of winter activities. Oh well, there’s always next year! I’m looking forward to all our outdoor adventures with our little one.
Final thoughts: You can stay active during pregnancy – in your own way
Hopefully you have gained some inspiration for how you can stay active during your pregnancy or how you can support someone who does!
Make sure to listen to your body and not overdo it – just try to move to stay as healthy as you can and prepare your body for the delivery and beyond.
To help you further, I also created a FAQ section about staying activity during pregnancy. If you have any more questions, contact Jarda at info@jardazaoral.com and we’ll try to answer your question.
Frequently asked questions about staying active during pregnancy
For most healthy pregnancies, yes – staying active is not only safe but beneficial. That said, every pregnancy is different. Always check with your midwife, doctor, or (pelvic floor) physical therapist if you’re unsure or experiencing pain, dizziness, or other concerning symptoms.
Low-impact activities are usually easiest to maintain, such as walking, hiking, swimming, cycling, pregnancy yoga, and strength training adapted for pregnancy. The “best” exercise is the one that feels good in your body and fits your energy levels.
Often yes – especially if your body is already used to them. You’ll likely need to adjust intensity, duration, and sometimes technique as your pregnancy progresses. Here pregnancy-specific workout apps can help guide you. High-impact or high-fall-risk activities may need extra consideration.
There’s no one-size-fits-all number. Some days might be a long hike; other days just a gentle walk or yoga session. Focus on consistency rather than performance, and listen to your body.
Contact sports and activities with a high risk of falling are generally discouraged. Many people also avoid sauna, hot baths, and extreme cold exposure. When in doubt, choose safer alternatives and talk to your healthcare provider.
Common signs include pelvic pain, lingering soreness, dizziness, feeling unwell after workouts, or pressure in your pelvic floor. If something doesn’t feel right during or after activity, scale back next time.
Yes – for many people, hiking is a wonderful pregnancy activity. Just take it slower, plan shorter routes if needed, take breaks, bring plenty of water and snacks, and be mindful of heat and terrain.
If you already feel confident on a bike, cycling can be a great option, especially early on. As balance changes and fall risk increases later in pregnancy, many people choose to stop or switch to indoor cycling.
Absolutely. Your pelvic floor goes through a lot during pregnancy and birth. Gentle, regular pelvic floor exercises can help prevent issues later on. Apps or guidance from a pelvic floor physical therapist can be very helpful.
You don’t need to “eat for two,” but you do need to fuel your body. Eat when you’re hungry, bring extra snacks, and drink more water than usual – especially during longer activities or warm weather.
Very normal. Growing a human takes energy. Some days will feel strong and adventurous; others will call for rest. Both are part of an active pregnancy.
There’s no fixed cutoff – many people stay active right up until delivery, just in gentler ways. The key is adapting your activities and stopping anything that causes pain, discomfort, or concern.
Carry heavier gear, plan flexible routes, encourage breaks, bring snacks, and be understanding when plans change. Sometimes the best support is simply slowing down and enjoying the journey together.
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