Walking during pregnancy: what the guidelines say

The short answer: major guidelines recommend that pregnant women without a medical reason to avoid it be active throughout pregnancy, with brisk walking named as an example of moderate-intensity activity. Trials of exercise programs show lower odds of some pregnancy complications. Walking by itself has been studied less than exercise in general, and your own doctor or midwife has the final say on what's right for your pregnancy.

What the guidelines say

The 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy (Mottola and colleagues) makes these recommendations, rated strong and supported by moderate-quality evidence. All women without contraindications should be physically active throughout pregnancy, including those who were previously inactive. Pregnant women should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, spread over at least three days, though being active every day is encouraged. Examples of moderate intensity include brisk walking. The guideline also recommends a variety of aerobic and resistance activities. The World Health Organization's 2020 guidelines likewise recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week for pregnant and postpartum women without contraindications.

What exercise does for complications

A 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Davenport and colleagues) looked at randomised trials of prenatal exercise. Exercise-only programs lowered the odds of these complications:

The gestational hypertension figure came from 22 trials with 5,316 women, and preeclampsia from 15 trials with 3,322. A meta-regression in the same analysis suggested that as little as 25 minutes of exercise three days a week could provide those benefits. Three caveats: the programs varied and were not walking-only, they were structured exercise programs, many at moderate to vigorous intensity, and these are lower odds in trials, not a guarantee for any individual pregnancy.

Staying safe

The Canadian guideline lists reasons to stop and talk to a healthcare provider: persistent excessive shortness of breath that doesn't settle with rest, severe chest pain, regular painful uterine contractions, vaginal bleeding, persistent loss of fluid from the vagina, and persistent dizziness or faintness that doesn't settle with rest. Standard medical advice also asks you to call about calf pain or swelling and a noticeable drop in your baby's movements. The guideline also lists contraindications to exercise, which include unexplained persistent vaginal bleeding, among others, and it flags exercising in excessive heat and humidity as something to be careful about.

If you have a pregnancy complication, such as placenta previa, preeclampsia, a risk of preterm labour or anything your doctor has flagged, get individual advice before starting or continuing. General guidance, including this page, can't account for your situation.

Practical tips

This part is general advice, not study findings. The usual rule of thumb for moderate intensity is a pace at which you can talk but not sing. If you weren't active before pregnancy, begin with 10 minutes or so and add a little each week; walking for beginners has a gentle plan. Wear shoes that fit, and size up if your feet swell; best walking shoes covers what to look for. Choose flat, familiar routes as your balance changes, drink water, and carry your phone. Shorter, more frequent walks are fine on days you feel tired or sick, and there is no need to chase a step count; for background on step targets generally, see how many steps you need.

What we left out

An earlier version of this page made claims that walking eases back and pelvic pain, reduces swelling, improves sleep, shortens labour, and can be used to encourage labour. We haven't reviewed the evidence on those, so we've removed them rather than guess; your midwife can advise on walking in late pregnancy and in early labour. After birth, the WHO recommends activity for postpartum women too, but ask your doctor or midwife when it's right for you to start. For the blood sugar side, see walking and blood sugar, and for back pain generally, walking and back pain.

Sources

1. Mottola MF, Davenport MH, Ruchat S-M, et al. 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52(21):1339-1346. csepguidelines.ca
2. Davenport MH, Ruchat S-M, Poitras VJ, et al. Prenatal exercise for the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52(21):1367-1375. PubMed
3. Does exercise during pregnancy decrease the risk of developing hypertensive disorders? American Family Physician, 2022 (summary of the Davenport meta-analysis). aafp.org
4. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54:1451-1462. PMC

Correction note: an earlier version of this page said walking is recommended consistently by obstetricians, midwives and physiotherapists, that it reduces swelling and improves sleep, that it eases back and pelvic pain more effectively than rest, that it is associated with shorter labour, and covered walking to encourage labour. We could not verify those against the guidelines and trials we checked, so they were removed. We checked the figures above against published abstracts, the guideline summary and a clinical summary of the Davenport meta-analysis on October 2, 2026. This article is for general information only and does not replace personalised medical advice; always consult your doctor or midwife about exercise during your pregnancy. This is general information, not medical advice.