If you’re pregnant, squats can be a beneficial addition to your workout. Depending on your needs, squat variations can help to strengthen different areas of your hips, legs, and pelvic floor.

Squats are among the most popular and effective exercises for lower body strength. There are many variations of squats that can be done with or without equipment.

When you’re pregnant, your lower body has more weight to support. Strengthening your lower body with squats can help reduce pregnancy-related discomfort and fatigue. Squats may even offer some benefits during labor and throughout the postpartum period.

As with any exercise during pregnancy, check with a healthcare professional first. They can help to ensure you use proper form and don’t end up experiencing additional knee, hip, or lower back pain.

During pregnancy, it’s best to avoid excessive bouncing, jumping, or high impact activity. Unless you were training at a high level before pregnancy, heavy resistance training isn’t recommended because of the risk of injury.

The hormone relaxin can cause your ligaments and joints to become increasingly loose during pregnancy. Although you may feel more flexible, it’s best to avoid overstretching, which can lead to injury.

Your center of gravity also changes as your belly gets bigger. To avoid falling, always perform movements slowly and in a controlled way.

Stop exercising and check with a healthcare professional if you experience any of the following:

  • dizziness
  • pain
  • vaginal bleeding
  • shortness of breath
  • racing heartbeat
  • chest pain
  • vaginal fluid leaking
  • uterine contractions
  • muscle cramps

Childbirth is an intense and physically demanding event. Much like any other athletic endeavor, proper training and preparation is important. While you may need to adjust your usual routine, it’s generally considered safe to work at or below the intensity you did prepregnancy.

Fewer aches and pains

As your belly grows, your posture may change, leading to some pain and discomfort.

A small 2019 study found that doing daily squats during pregnancy helped to improve standing posture, thanks to improved lower body strength.

Reduced fatigue

It’s not uncommon to feel extra fatigued during pregnancy.

A 2022 study suggests that resistance exercises, particularly squats, can boost energy. This is partly due to the increased blood circulation and oxygen intake that occur during exercise.

Pelvic floor strength

When you think of strengthening your pelvic floor, Kegel exercises may be the first thing that comes to mind.

However, some research suggests that squats are up to 30% more effective than kegels for strengthening pelvic floor muscles. That’s partly because squats are a dynamic movement that engages both muscles and joints. While Kegels can still help to improve pelvic floor strength, the only target muscles.

Easier labor

Regular squatting may also help you have an easier labor due to increased mobility, strength, and endurance.

Additionally, research suggests that giving birth in a squatting position can open up your pelvis by 20 to 30%, creating more room for a baby to pass through.

1. Bodyweight squats

During pregnancy, the weight of your body may offer enough resistance for you to work out effectively. But you can always add weight by holding dumbbells in each hand, or by setting a barbell across your shoulders.

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. If you don’t have weights or a bar, hold your arms straight out in front of your body for balance.
  3. Lower yourself into a squat position. Only go as far as you’re comfortable while keeping your back straight, weight in your heels, and knees behind or in line with your toes.
  4. Return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes on the way up.
  5. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

2. Sumo squats

This squat variation targets the inner muscles of the thighs and glutes. It’s also an excellent stretch to open up the hips.

Note: Your joints are more flexible during pregnancy, so it’s easy to strain yourself by stretching too far. Do not go past your usual range of motion.

  1. Step out into a wide stance with your feet greater than shoulder-width apart and toes pointing outward, with knees tracking in line with the toes.
  2. Lower yourself into a squat position. Only go as far as you’re comfortable while keeping your back straight, weight in your heels, and knees behind or in line with your toes.
  3. Keep your legs turned out throughout the movement, making sure your knees do not cave in toward each other.
  4. Return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes on the way up.
  5. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

3. Squats against the wall with an exercise ball

This exercise adds a level of instability to further engage the core muscles during the squat movement. If this exercise bothers your knees, only go as low as you feel comfortable.

  1. Stand against a wall with an exercise ball between the wall and your lower back.
  2. Place feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Hold your arms straight out in front of your body for balance.
  4. Contract your abdominals by pulling in your belly button as if you were trying to pull it to the ball behind you.
  5. Lower yourself into a sitting position. Go only as far as you’re comfortable, keeping your back straight and shoulders back.
  6. If you feel a lot of pressure on your knees, make sure your feet are far enough away from the wall to maintain a 90-degree angle at the knee when in a full squat.
  7. Return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes on the way up.
  8. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

4. Deep squat hold with pelvic floor contraction

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and other organs like a sling. As pregnancy progresses, these muscles can become weak, leading to urinary incontinence and other issues postpartum. Strong pelvic floor muscles may also help during delivery, so it’s important to keep them active during pregnancy.

  1. Stand facing a wall with your feet in a wide sumo squat position.
  2. Squat as far down as you can. Go all the way down to the ground, if you’re able, but be careful not to overstretch.
  3. Keep your arms extended in front of you. If needed, hold onto the wall for balance.
  4. Perform a Kegel exercise at the bottom of your squat. Squeeze your pelvic floor as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine.
  5. Hold this position for 10 seconds and return to standing.
  6. Repeat 5 times.

5. Chair squats

This exercise is a great modification for women who have compromised balance during pregnancy, or aren’t comfortable with regular squats.

  1. Stand 1 foot away from a braced chair so it cannot move out from under you (for example, against a wall), with feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Sit back into the chair, lightly resting your bottom on the chair for 1 to 2 seconds.
  3. Stand back up using your gluteus muscles to initiate the movement.
  4. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Squats are an excellent resistance exercise during pregnancy to maintain strength and range of motion in the hips, glutes, core, and pelvic floor muscles. When performed correctly, squats can help improve posture and have the potential to assist with the birthing process.

Squats don’t need to be performed with weight to be beneficial. If you don’t experience any pregnancy complications or other health concerns, you can do them throughout. Always check with your doctor before performing any new exercise routine during pregnancy.