Why Working Out While Pregnant is Important

duda • September 12, 2025

Working out while pregnant can be great for both mother and baby. Exercise has been shown time and time again in various research articles to be beneficial during pregnancy. If you are new to exercise , there is even research to support the benefits of starting exercise during pregnancy.

Let?s first talk about how amazing it is to become pregnant. Did you know there?s only a few days, we?re talking 1-3 days, a month your body is able to conceive! For 50% of couples, they conceive in the first 6 months. For others, it may take much longer. A recent 2020 study found that performing moderate intensity exercise can help decrease the time it takes to conceive (benefit #1 of exercise).?

How working out while pregnant can benefit you

So that?s why we should exercise before conception, but why exercise throughout pregnancy? 

  • Reduces the risk of gestational diabetes
  • Reduces the risk of high blood pressure
  • Decrease the amount of unnecessary maternal weight gain
  • Reduces the risk of postpartum depression
  • Potentially decreases the length of labor

Yet, only 38% of pregnant women follow physical activity guidelines. While the recommendation is 150 minutes per week of both aerobic and resistance training. Which is why we recommend working out while pregnant.

Let?s consider 2 scenarios: 

Scenario 1: Jane just had her first baby, she hasn?t exercised throughout her pregnancy as she was unsure if it was good for her or not. Now she is discharged from the hospital and has to carry the carseat (15# on average) in one hand and the diaper bag in the other hand. This could easily be more weight than Jane has carried in over 9 months.

Scenario 2: Jane just had her first baby, she has been lifting weights throughout her pregnancy because her healthcare provider encouraged her to start. Now she is discharged from the hospital and has to carry her newborn in a car seat in one hand and the diaper bag in the other hand. EASY, she?s been preparing for this. This weight is only 10% of what she was using at the gym.

What scenario sounds better to you??

By working out during her pregnancy, Jane in scenario 2 also learned safe ways to lift weights. At K?r Fitness & Performance, we don't just lift one style of weight. We utilize dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, bumper plates and sandbags to prepare everyone for the demands of their daily life. As Jane's baby grows, she will need to -- and want to -- carry her kid with ease.

Can working out while pregnant cause a miscarriage?

Lastly, let?s clear up one big misconception of exercising during pregnancy. A study in 2019 found no increase in risk of miscarriage for women who are physically active during pregnancy. They found no correlation of miscarriage based on the intensity of the exercise program.

Why would I sign up for the CrossFit Open?

By duda • September 12, 2025
There are three main reasons that we at K?r Fitness and Performance encourage our athletes to sign up for the CrossFit Open. Those reasons are community, a chance to do something hard and it is our annual fitness check-in.

How does Kôr do the CrossFit Open differently?

By duda • September 12, 2025
Every CrossFit gym tackles the Open in their own way, and at K?r we do the CrossFit Open differently. It's a global event that takes place for 3 weeks in March. Anyone around the world can participate by completing each of the workouts and logging their score on the community leaderboard. To join the global community and leaderboard, you need to register with CrossFit for $25.

What to eat before a CrossFit workout

By duda • September 12, 2025
Eating before a workout might sound like the last thing that you want to do. However, it can not only help you enjoy your workout even more, it can help you with your fitness goals. Knowing what to eat before a CrossFit workout isn?t the only factor, you also need to determine when to eat.

Information for Menopausal Athletes

By duda • September 12, 2025
At K?r Fitness & Performance, we have members of all ages, including menstruating and menopausal athletes. We ask why are periods ?a curse? and menopause ?the sign of getting old?? Instead, we view our period as a monthly check-in to tell us our body is healthy and properly fueled. In other countries, menopause is celebrated as a natural transition for all women and a new era of freedom.

Mastering Motivation and Discipline

By duda • September 12, 2025
At K?r Fitness and Performance, we believe that mastering motivation and discipline is the cornerstone of achieving your fitness goals. In our journey to help you become the best version of yourself, understanding the difference between the two is extremely important.

Do you have a plan for your goals?

By duda • September 12, 2025
At K?r Fitness and Performance in Newport, MN, we schedule goal review sessions every three months. In these sessions, members discuss fitness and health related goals with their coach. During these sessions, both work together in creating a plan to accomplish them.?Do you have a plan for your goals?

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

By duda • September 12, 2025
With the delayed winter finally catching up to us, there?s nothing like the smell of a crock pot meal consuming the house. This ?dump and go? chicken pot pie recipe is easy, healthy, and very quick to make, whether you make it on the weekend or prep it right before you leave for work.

Unbreakable Team: The Power of the CrossFit Community

By duda • September 12, 2025
At K?r Fitness and Performance, we believe in the power of our CrossFit community. When it?s time to make a change in your life, having support can be the difference between succeeding and failing. We know that making a positive change for your health is made exponentially easier when that change is made with others.

5 Easy Ways CrossFit Benefits Runners

By duda • September 12, 2025
There are many ways that CrossFit benefits runners, including the 5 ways that will boost your running performance. Maybe you're looking to take your running performance to the next level. Or you want to avoid the nagging injuries that you hear other runners dealing with. Incorporating CrossFit into your training as a runner can be the key to both of those things and more. From building strength and increasing your endurance to preventing injuries. Whether you?re a marathoner or a fan of the 5k distance, here?s how CrossFit can help you become a stronger, faster, and more resilient runner.

5 Valuable Skills Learned From Kids CrossFit Classes

By duda • September 12, 2025
You might think that the only thing kids learn from a CrossFit program is strength & endurance, but that's not what we've seen over the years. In our kids CrossFit classes led by a Doctor of Physical Therapy, kids of all ages have picked up these 5 life skills, and more. Which is why we are running our 4th round of our kids program at K?r Fitness and Performance for kids from ages 6 and up.