Get access to over 1,300 articles and reader Q&As
I’ve been a competitive athlete, and fitness is part of my identity and a source of balance for me. After my first child, I got back into strength training and CrossFit. Between work and taking care of my 2-year-old, these intense workouts have been as important to my mental health as my physical well-being. I’m now pregnant with number two and, according to Google, should not be doing heavy lifting, jumping, or inversions. I’m desperate not to abandon what I love doing and looking for a way to modify without giving up entirely.
—Strong Mama
I feel this letter. The best thing my midwife did for me in my second pregnancy (other than catching the baby) was to encourage me to keep running and to tell me to get a running belt to make it happen. I’m well aware that exercise isn’t for everybody, but there are also a lot of people for whom it’s a huge part of what makes them tick.
Increasingly, we are seeing an emphasis on the value of exercise in pregnancy and evidence that it is safe. As one 2016 paper says: “As the health benefits of exercise are increasingly recognized, the traditional advice to rest during pregnancy has changed toward a more healthy and active pregnancy.”
Often, though, this advice is coupled with something like “but don’t do too much.” And for those of us who like to push our heart rates or do serious weight training, not all exercise is created equal. If you’re looking for a CrossFit fix, a brisk walk around the block is not going to cut it.
Within the last few years, we’ve seen more evidence on the safety of intense exercise during pregnancy. A 2025 paper followed 10 pregnant and 10 non-pregnant women doing high-intensity weight lifting. They found that while mom’s heart rate increased, there was no evidence of heart rate changes for the baby. Beyond the studies, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence documenting that women successfully continue CrossFit during pregnancy (here’s one interview study and one set of reports, admittedly from a biased source). A lot of people keep doing CrossFit while they are pregnant, and you probably can, too.
One thing to watch out for: your ligaments are looser during pregnancy, making you more prone to injury. So even more than when not pregnant, pay attention to your body.
Community Guidelines
Log in