Top 3 exercises to avoid if you have pelvic pain during pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy can be extremely beneficial in managing pelvic pain. However certain exercises could actually be worsening your pain.

Pelvic pain is common during pregnancy, with reports as high as 30% of all pregnant women suffering with pain.

As you gain weight and your belly grows forward, your abdominals become stretched and weakened. Many pregnant women also tend to change their posture to compensate for their growing belly. Combine this with hormonal changes which are softening your pelvic ligaments to allow the birth canal to widen… and wah-la!

You have a weakened pelvis trying to cope with the added weight and pressure put upon it!

This can cause inflammation in the pelvic joints which then results in pain.

Common sites of pelvic pain during pregnancy

Most women report pain in the front of the pelvis or groin, or in the bottom or lower back.

Now… no woman in her right mind would do exercise that deliberately worsens her pain.. but often women are accidentally doing exercises that they don’t realise are aggravating these pain spots.

The pelvis is already overloaded, so placing asymmetrical, uneven forces on it will make it quite grumpy.

I’d advise you to avoid the following exercises if you want your grumpy pelvis to be happy again!

Any exercise that requires you to stand on one leg
Exercises requiring you to split the legs wide
Any jumping or dynamic exercise

Let’s flesh this out…

Exercises standing on one leg.

Asymmetrical loading on an already inflamed pelvis can cause further aggravation and pain. Exercises to avoid include single leg squats, single leg standing hip raises or arabesques.

Exercises requiring you to split the legs wide.

The pelvis is already feeling stretched and sore, if we stretch it even further it will continue to be aggravated and cause pain. Exercises to avoid include lunges, wide leg squats, star jumps or pigeon pose.

Jumping or dynamic exercise

The increased load placed on the pelvic joints with the added weight of a “jump” can really set your pain off. Many jumping or dynamic exercises also require the legs to split apart (ie. running, step class) which further aggravates pelvic pain. Exercises to avoid include running, skipping and burpees.

As a general rule…