For generations, pregnant individuals have been met with a barrage of warnings, restrictions, and outright fear-mongering regarding physical exertion. Among the most pervasive myths is the idea that lifting weights or engaging in resistance training during pregnancy is inherently dangerous, risks harming the developing baby, and invites a host of severe complications. These warnings, however, have historically been rooted in little to no actual evidence, leaving expectant parents to navigate conflicting advice without the backing of rigorous science.
Now, a comprehensive body of modern research is decisively challenging those outdated notions. A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis involving 50 studies and over 47,000 participants has taken a meticulous look at the real-world effects of resistance training across a plethora of pregnancy-related variables. From prenatal health and maternal well-being all the way to delivery outcomes and pelvic floor symptoms, the data reveals a remarkably encouraging picture of what the maternal body can safely and effectively achieve.
The findings demonstrate that resistance training—typically incorporated as part of a balanced exercise routine—yields significant protective health benefits. Most notably, the meta-analysis revealed an approximately 50 percent reduction in gestational hypertension, a serious condition that can trigger severe pregnancy complications if it is allowed to develop unchecked. A similarly robust relationship was observed for gestational diabetes. According to the data, engaging in resistance training resulted in an approximately 38 percent reduction in the likelihood of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Beyond these profound metabolic and cardiovascular advantages, the research uncovered striking psychological benefits. Interestingly, resistance training also reduced the risk of perinatal mood disturbances by approximately 50 percent across both the prenatal and postpartum periods. This dual impact suggests that maintaining strength training routines has powerful, promising effects on both physical health and psychological resilience during one of life’s most demanding physiological transitions.
Just as significant as the documented benefits is what the data revealed about the risks that people are traditionally taught to fear. Contrary to popular anxiety, resistance training did not result in an increase in the complications that expectant parents worry about most. For instance, rates of preterm birth, Caesarean delivery, and perineal injury appeared virtually identical between those who incorporated exercise and those who did not.
There was some evidence suggesting that individuals who exercised experienced a somewhat longer first stage of labor, but this variation occurred without any meaningful or clinically significant differences in the second stage of labor. Furthermore, standard measures of infant health—such as birthweight, gestational age, and the overall likelihood of delivering a baby that is either very small or very large—remained entirely unaffected by resistance training. In fact, macrosomia, which is defined as having a larger-than-normal birthweight, was actually less common among those who maintained an exercise routine. When researchers examined pelvic floor symptoms, limited data indicated that individuals who either maintained or increased their strength levels throughout pregnancy reported lower rates of overall pelvic floor complications.
It is important to place these findings in the proper context regarding the specific types of physical activity evaluated. The resistance training protocols utilized across the majority of the analyzed studies consisted primarily of short sessions of light lifting, frequently combined with other forms of moderate physical activity. However, that conservative approach is not universally applicable to all athletes and experienced lifters. A couple of years ago, researchers and fitness analysts covered a specialized study documenting the impact of continuing much more intense weightlifting modalities—specifically Olympic lifting movements like the snatch and the clean and jerk—as well as high-intensity CrossFit training throughout pregnancy. Remarkably, those more rigorous endeavors yielded similarly promising results.
Much of the credit for advancing this field belongs to leading researchers Dr. Christina Prevett and Dr. Margie Davenport, who headed up both the prior study focusing on weightlifters and CrossFit athletes and the present, broader meta-analysis. Their rigorous scientific contributions have played a vital role in shifting public understanding and clinical perspectives in an area of research that has long been clouded by caution and myth.
The growing body of literature supporting prenatal exercise extends beyond clinical delivery outcomes and metabolic health. Additional new evidence suggests that resistance training may also support significantly better day-to-day well-being throughout the entirety of a pregnancy. A 2025 systematic review of randomized controlled trials reported broad improvements in overall quality of life for expectant mothers. These improvements included reduced fatigue, better overall sleep quality, fewer bodily aches and pains—particularly the low back and pelvic discomfort that so commonly accompany pregnancy—and enhanced overall physical functioning.
Taken as a whole, the current scientific literature suggests that lifting during pregnancy, when appropriately prescribed and monitored by a qualified healthcare or fitness professional, is not only entirely safe but represents a net positive for maternal and fetal health.
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