The Best At-Home Pregnancy Workouts

Do you want to keep exercising during pregnancy but can’t find any at-home workouts you actually like? Friend, I’ve got your back. Here are my four favorite sources for the best online pregnancy workouts.

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Exercising during pregnancy has gotten a bad rap in the past. Doctors discouraged it, rumors circled that it caused miscarriage, and moms were scared that it would cause harm to their babies.

Gratefully, we know the truth now: exercising during pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for you and your baby.

Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy

Real quick, before I share what I’ve found to be the best pregnancy workouts, let’s talk about some benefits of exercising during pregnancy.

Whether pregnant or not, exercise is good for you physically and mentally.

Physically, exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of heart disease, improve your sleep, and more. Mentally and emotionally, exercise reduces depression and anxiety, raises your self-esteem, and improves your brain function.

Exercising during pregnancy also provides lots of benefits to your baby. Exercise improves blood flow and circulation between you, the placenta, and your baby. It also increases the likelihood of full-term birth and of a healthy birth weight.

One of the most powerful benefits of exercising during pregnancy is that children of a mother who did prenatal exercise regularly have improved health beyond life in the womb. One study showed that a mother’s exercise during pregnancy resulted in improved heart function for her baby at one month old. 

Another study showed that the children of mothers who exercise during pregnancy have better attentiveness and discipline.

The researchers attributed that improvement to better nutrient delivery to the placenta because of increased blood volume, cardiac output, and placental function resulting from the mother’s exercise.

Regular exercise during pregnancy also reduces both baby’s and mom’s risk of chronic disease and lowers your risk of an unplanned c-section.

Finally (this one’s super cool), researchers have found that women who exercise regularly during pregnancy have higher levels of endorphins when they go into labor and report less labor pain. Cool, right?

RELATED >> 10 Ways Prenatal Exercise Benefits Your Baby

Is My Baby Safe When I Exercise?

Like I mentioned, people used to believe that exercising during pregnancy caused miscarriage. That’s simply not true.

Miscarriage is usually caused by genetic abnormalities or other things out of your control. Exercising, when done properly and mindfully, is safe and will not cause a miscarriage.

Aside from the myth about miscarriage, another common concern about exercising during pregnancy is a worry that a fall or a hit to the stomach will hurt the baby. While this concern is founded—you probably do want to avoid contact sports or things which could cause a fall—it’s not as much of a problem as you might think.

Your baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid which acts as a cushion and absorbs most of the force from an impact. In addition to the amniotic fluid, your uterus and abdomen provide more layers of protection for your baby.

What About Running, Lifting Weights, etc.?

When it comes to specific types of exercise, you can keep doing whatever exercise you were doing before getting pregnant (as long as you don’t have complications that make prenatal exercise dangerous, which is rare).

Pregnancy isn’t a great time to start doing intense exercise, like starting to run if you never have before.

However, if you didn’t exercise regularly before pregnancy, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start. Don’t jump right into heaving weightlifting, for example, but don’t be afraid to exercise in ways that feel doable to you, like walking, yoga, bodyweight exercises, and simple cardio.

My Favorite Pregnancy and Postpartum Workouts

Okay. Now let’s get to the good stuff.

With so many prenatal workouts out there, it can be hard to find the best ones. To make exercising during pregnancy easier for you, I want to share the best pregnancy workouts I’ve found. They’re online, at-home workouts. And most of them are free!

Best Free Pregnancy Workouts

If you’re like me and prefer to exercise from the comfort of your own home, YouTube is going to be your best friend for the next 9 months. Throughout my first pregnancy, I found three YouTubers who are certified personal trainers and/or certified pregnancy and postpartum exercise specialists who have lots of awesome free workouts.

NourishMoveLove

First up is Lindsey Bomgren from NourishMoveLove. I love her grounded approach to fitness—she views it as a way to become a stronger, healthier person, not just a way to look good.

Her workouts are intense, with a big focus on building strength. While she often incorporates dumbbells, her variety is impressive, offering everything from cardio to barre to HIIT to pilates.

Many of her videos target specific muscle groups—glutes and abs, shoulders and arms, or legs, back, and chest.

I love so many of her workouts but this one is a favorite (while she’s not pregnant in it, nearly all of her routines are pregnancy-friendly):

Pregnancy and Postpartum TV

Next is Jessica Pumple from Pregnancy and Postpartum TV. She covers a wide range of workout styles for both pregnancy and postpartum, including:

• Yoga
• HIIT
• Cardio
• Pilates
• Dance
• Strength

Her workouts are generally more gentle and beginner-friendly, but they still get you moving!

One of my favorite pregnancy videos from her is this 30-minute yoga routine:

GlowBodyPT

Finally, there’s Ashley Keller from GlowBodyPT. She’s known for her challenging workouts that help tone your body while staying safe for pregnancy and postpartum.

GlowBodyPT offers a variety of workout styles, including:

• Cardio
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Strength
• Tabata (HIIT)
• Stretching

She also has shorter, targeted videos for specific muscle groups like abs, arms, shoulders, legs, back, glutes, and hips. Plus, she shares a lot of great content on nutrition and meal planning.

One of my go-to favorites that I kept coming back to was this one:

Best Paid Option

I’m all about finding great free resources. But every once in a while, something comes along that’s so good, I decide it’s worth paying for—and that’s exactly how I feel about Barre3. 

I “happened” to discover Barre3 through a business email subscription I followed for a while (pretty sure it was divine intervention), and I was hooked!

I love how Barre3 combines strength, cardio, and mindfulness all in one workout (that’s where the “3” in Barre3 comes from). The instructors are fun and super encouraging.

The workouts range from easier to serious burn, and you can choose between cardio, strength, flow, or a signature workout (a mix of all three), so there’s always something to match how you’re feeling.

They even offer a dedicated prenatal collection—though I did any and all of their workouts during pregnancy!

Barre3 was a favorite of mine before I got married, and it carried me through my first pregnancy and beyond. It’s honestly one of the biggest reasons I maintained a consistent exercise routine throughout pregnancy.

You can try a 14-day free trial, and after that it’s $20/month (if you pay annually). You can sign up here if you’re interested (not an affiliate link).

My Favorite Exercise Props

If you do Barre3, or any workout really, sometimes it’s nice to have a few props to bring the heat. Here are my favorite props that I use regularly.

5-lb Weights

I use my 5-lb weights more than anything else during workouts. They can add a little more resistance to one side or both and can help you really feel the burn in the upper and lower body.

Core Ball

My core ball is probably my second most-used prop. It’s great for core work but also helps you target your inner thighs as well as your glutes, arms, and quads, depending on how you use it. I definitely recommend getting one.

Yoga Blocks

Yoga blocks aren’t just for yoga, though of course they can be great for that. You can use one as a support when you’re doing your deep pregnancy squats. They’re also great if you want a little more space to work with, like with pushups or one-sided bridge lifts, or if you need some extra support during stretches.

I use mine to be a little higher off the ground when I do burpees. It feels better in my body.

Core Sliders

Core sliders are a fun prop I’d never used before getting into Barre3. You use them just like you think you would – to work your core (and legs!) by sliding them across the floor. One side is slick for sliding on carpet or a yoga mat and one side is soft for sliding on hardwood, so you can workout wherever you please.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are popular because they’re supposed to be easier on your joints than weights. They also intensify a workout quicker than almost anything else! The most common way to use them is around your thighs, but they’re also good for arm work and supported pushups too.

I like this kind of fabric resistance band because they don’t roll up or slide as much as the latex-y ones do.

Conclusion: Find What Works for You

Here they are – the best pregnancy workouts! These resources were such a blessing during my first pregnancy, helping me stay active and feeling great. I hope they’ll do the same for you!

Of course, every pregnancy is different, and maybe these workouts won’t be the right fit for you. But I’d still encourage you to find a way to prioritize movement throughout your pregnancy. Staying active can make a world of difference, both physically and mentally.

Until next time,

Allison

Ready to move with confidence?

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READ MORE:

Ab Exercises During Pregnancy: How to Keep Your Core Strong Safely

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What Foods Help Prevent Miscarriage? Nourish Your Body for Pregnancy

67 Quotes About Birth That You Need to Hear If You’re Pregnant