Can You Do Sit Ups While Pregnant? What You Need to Know
If you are used to working out regularly, soon after learning you’re pregnant, you might
wonder if you can continue your normal workout routines
consult Dr. Google to see what exercises you are supposed to avoid
wonder if any exercises might hurt your baby
According to Dr. Google, pretty much everyone recommends against doing abdominal flexion movements during pregnancy.
Abdominal flexion movements include
sit ups
V-ups
toes to bar
These movements appear frequently in CrossFit WODs. If you’re a CrossFit athlete, it can be frustrating to feel like you have to cut out an entire movement group the minute you start growing a tiny human!
So what’s the deal?
Can you do sit ups while pregnant? (Note that I’m using “sit ups” as shorthand for any abdominal flexion movement.)
Is there a valid reason to not do them?
Or is this just another example of experts being overly cautious and not letting you do anything fun while you’re pregnant?
I’ve got you covered!
This post will answer
Why we don’t recommend sit ups in pregnancy (and whether they are actually harmful)
Alternatives to sit ups during pregnancy
Then I’ll hop on my soapbox for the briefest of moments and give you some of my thoughts on the mom-baby dyad.
Let’s get started!
Why don’t we recommend sit ups in pregnancy?
I. You can, but shouldn’t, do sit ups while pregnant
For the most part, you can do sit ups while you’re pregnant. But that doesn’t mean you should.
First things first: will they hurt your baby? I have not found any resources that suggest this is the case.
II. Your growing belly will get in the way
But the reality is as your pregnancy progresses, sit ups and related movements will become less and less comfortable – your growing belly will get in the way!
At some point, it will become difficult or impossible to do these movements, even if you want to.
(Note that hinging movements will also become undesirable in later stages of pregnancy for the same reason: think deadlifts and rowing. It is tough to get in a good set up position with the equivalent of a wall ball strapped to your stomach!)
III. Why squish your baby if you don’t have to?
Because you’re compressing your abdominal region in flexion movements, you are compressing (aka squishing!) your baby with each rep. This is not actively harmful, but it’s also not ideal – why do it if you don’t have to?
BirthFit has a helpful concept of being in season training for birth once you get pregnant.
This means your training should be directed toward making you as strong and capable as possible for birth and postpartum recovery.
You should avoid movements that don’t support that goal – not because they are inherently harmful, but because you are training with a goal in mind and want to do things that align with that goal.
IV. Sit ups don’t effectively train your core as an integrated system
The primary reason to avoid sit ups during pregnancy is they train the anterior core (the front part of your abs aka abdominal muscles) to the exclusion of the rest of your core.
Especially during pregnancy, the goal of “core work” or abdominal training is to preserve the integrity and optimal functioning of our core stability system.
Your core stability system includes
diaphragm
abdominals
obliques
pelvic floor
When training during pregnancy, we want to prioritize movements that train your core as an integrated unit.
Your abs already become stretched in pregnancy to accommodate your baby as he grows. Stretching usually leads to weakness. When you do direct ab work, it’s easy to not notice when you are overworking your abs. This can put too much pressure on them and/or your pelvic floor.
Pregnancy and labor place huge demands on your pelvic floor.
It should be a training priority to strengthen your pelvic floor as much as possible, and to train in such a way that your core stability system is as supportive as possible.
Alternatives to sit ups during pregnancy
Get ups are an effective way to train your core during pregnancy.
I. Train your core as an integrated unit
Here are seven of my favorite movements to train your core stability system as a whole:
Kettlebell front rack march/carry
Suitcase march/carry
Get ups
Deadbugs
Side plank hip lift
Low crawl
Bear position shoulder taps
One thing these movements all have in common is that your core is working to remain stable while your limbs are moving.
They all need to be done prioritizing movement quality rather than speed.
Breathe throughout each set, using the stability breath and intentionally engaging your entire abdominal support system.
II. Substitute sit ups and toes to bar in a WOD
If you are in a “for time” group workout, CrossFit or other, ask your coach how long it should take to complete the movement you need to substitute.
Use that information to set a time frame or pick a reasonable number of reps that will keep the time frame about the same for the workout as a whole.
This might look like
30 sit ups → 30 sec./side suitcase march
20 V-ups → 10 steps forward & backward low crawl
16 toes to bar → 1 get up/side
A good coach will help you come up with appropriate modifications. If the first modification you try doesn’t feel right, don’t be shy about asking for a different suggestion or switching to a movement you do feel comfortable with.
The mom-baby dyad
From the moment of conception through at least the fourth trimester, mom and baby are a unit.
We call this the mom-baby dyad.
This means there are two people we are concerned with in any decision: mom AND baby.
This means that yes, you should consider your baby when choosing which movements to do or avoid. But you should also consider yourself.
Make decisions about what to do and not do when you are pregnant based on accurate information and your values. Getting pregnant doesn’t take away your critical thinking skills or ability to make decisions for yourself.
Dr. Google, your friends, coach, and mother-in-law will all have opinions. But ultimately only you can answer whether something is right for you and your baby.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest….
Can you do sit ups while pregnant? The final verdict.
Let’s get back to the initial question, “Can you do sit ups while pregnant?”
The answer is you can but you shouldn’t.
The purpose of training during pregnancy is to prepare you for birth and postpartum
The demands of labor require your core to work as an integrated unit
Sit ups do not train your core to work as an integrated unit
Therefore, I do not recommend sit ups during pregnancy, and recommend choosing one of the many alternatives instead.
Want to learn more?
I am always happy to discuss training, especially training while pregnant! And I love working with women to keep them strength training through pregnancy in a way that supports them and their baby.
I work in person with women at my gym, Twenty Pound Hammer, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. I also do remote coaching with women who live too far away to train at TPH.
I. Book a free discovery call
If you want to learn more about working with me, the best way to get in touch is to schedule a free discovery call. This call will allow you to meet me, ask a few questions, and figure out if we will be a good fit to work together.
II. Book a private training session
If you live in the Seattle area and are ready to get started, book an in-person private training session and we’ll get your pregnancy training journey rolling!
I’ll send you a brief list of questions before we meet, and our first session will include a conversation and assessment. After the first training session, you’ll be able to sign up for a package of ten private training sessions so we can build consistency and a longer-term plan.
Next on your reading list:
1. Squatting While Pregnant: What You Need to Know
2. Training While Pregnant