Note, this article provides general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Key Takeaways:
- Swimming is a low-impact, pregnancy-safe exercise that supports joint health and full-body movement
- It can help prevent excessive weight gain, reduce swelling, and ease back pain
- Swimming regularly may lower the risk of hypertension, preeclampsia, and postpartum depression
- It offers mental health benefits like stress reduction, better sleep, and mood-boosting endorphins
- Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise routine, and follow basic water safety precautions
In This Article
Easy on Your Joints
Aerobic Exercise
Improves Core Strength
Prevents Excessive Weight Gain
Stress Reduction
Reducing Edema
Treatment of Low Back Pain
Protects Against Hypertension
Helps Prevent Pre-Eclampsia
Decreased Risk of Postpartum Depression
Intact Perineum
Remember to Take Care
Ready to Make a Splash?
It wasn’t so long ago that expecting mothers were told to rest, take it easy, and avoid most physical activity. These days, that thinking has evolved. With guidance from healthcare professionals, we now know that gentle, low-impact exercise during pregnancy is not only safe for most women but often highly beneficial.
Walking, prenatal yoga and swimming are among the most recommended forms of pregnancy-safe movement. In this article, we’re focusing on one of the best options out there: swimming. Whether you’re a confident lap swimmer or just love a relaxing float, here’s why swimming during pregnancy is so highly praised by health professionals and mums alike.
Easy on Your Joints
Swimming is a non-weight-bearing form of exercise, meaning the water supports your body weight while you move. This buoyancy creates a sense of weightlessness, which is a welcome relief, especially in the later stages of pregnancy when your joints are working overtime. Because the water reduces the impact on your body, it relieves stress on your hips, knees, spine, and pelvic joints. This makes swimming an ideal choice if you’re experiencing discomfort or want to avoid jarring movements.
For extra comfort before and after your swim, try slipping into maternity loungewear, soft, breathable, and designed to support your growing bump.
Aerobic Exercise
Swimming is a full-body cardiovascular exercise that strengthens the heart and improves overall circulation. It increases your lung capacity and enhances blood flow throughout the body, which can be especially helpful during pregnancy when blood volume is naturally higher. Regular aerobic activity also builds endurance, tones muscles, and improves energy levels helping you stay physically prepared for the demands of labour and recovery.
If you're planning a babymoon or summer break, consider browsing our maternity swimwear holiday essentials to complete your travel wardrobe.
Improves Core Strength
Even though the water supports you, it still requires effort to move through it. Water is denser than air, so your body has to work harder, making swimming an excellent way to build strength safely.
When you swim, your core muscles are constantly engaged. For example:
- With backstroke, your abdominal muscles prevent your lower body from sinking
- In freestyle, your core helps stabilise your body and rotates with each breath
This continuous but gentle activation helps you build abdominal and lower back strength without putting direct pressure on those areas.
Prevents Excessive Weight Gain
The old saying goes, “you’re eating for two”, but that doesn’t mean you need to double your food intake. Exercise plays a key role in supporting healthy weight gain during pregnancy. A clinical study of pregnant women who participated in three sessions of aquatic aerobic activity per week found that those who swam regularly were less likely to gain excessive weight and more likely to maintain a healthy birth weight for their baby. Swimming provides the ideal balance: you’re moving your entire body, burning energy, and keeping active, without the physical stress of high-impact workouts.
Stress Reduction
Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can also bring emotional and mental stress. From hormonal changes to preparing for baby, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Water offers a naturally calming and grounding environment. Whether you’re gliding through the water or simply floating quietly, immersion in water has been shown to:
- Lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone)
- Improve mood
- Reduce anxiety and tension
- Promote better sleep
Even just 30 minutes in the pool can feel like a reset for both your body and your mind.
Reducing Edema
Swelling (or edema) in the feet, ankles, and hands is incredibly common in pregnancy, especially during the warmer months. For those who want to avoid compression socks (particularly in summer), good news: research suggests that being immersed in water up to your shoulders for 30 minutes can significantly reduce swelling. This natural water pressure helps the body redistribute excess fluids and improves circulation, leaving you feeling lighter and more comfortable after your swim.
Treatment of Low Back Pain
Lower back pain affects many pregnant women, often due to posture changes, hormone shifts, and the growing weight of your belly. Swimming and other water-based exercises have been found to relieve the intensity of back pain. Compared to land-based workouts, those who exercised in water reported:
- Less lower back discomfort
- Improved mobility
- Fewer sick days taken off work due to pain
If you’re struggling to find relief, swimming could be the gentle movement your body needs.
Protects Against Hypertension
High blood pressure during pregnancy also known as gestational hypertension can reduce blood flow to the placenta, limiting the oxygen and nutrients your baby receives. This can lead to slower growth or premature birth.
A large randomised controlled trial of over 750 pregnant women found that those who did not exercise were:
- 3x more likely to develop hypertension
- 1.5x more likely to gain excess weight
- 2.5x more likely to give birth to a macrosomic (larger than average) baby
Swimming is an excellent way to promote healthy blood pressure and reduce these risks.
Helps Prevent Pre-Eclampsia
Preeclampsia affects approximately 5–8% of pregnancies. It’s a serious condition that develops after 20 weeks, marked by high blood pressure and signs of damage to organs such as the kidneys, liver, or brain.
Regularly swimming may reduce your risk by:
- Improving blood pressure control
- Boosting circulation
- Reducing systemic inflammation
This combination supports healthier outcomes for both mother and baby.
Decreased Risk of Postpartum Depression
Mental health is just as important during pregnancy as physical health. Regular exercise is commonly recommended for managing depression and swimming is no exception.
One Spanish study found that women who took part in aquatic aerobic exercise during pregnancy experienced:
- Reduced symptoms of postpartum depression
- Higher quality of life after birth
The calming, rhythmic nature of swimming may play a key role in supporting emotional balance through the perinatal period.
Intact Perineum
A lesser-known benefit, but one worth mentioning: a study in Spain found that pregnant women who followed a three-times-per-week aquatic program had a higher rate of intact perineum after birth. This may be linked to improved pelvic floor tone and gentle resistance training in the water. While not guaranteed, it’s another encouraging reason to make swimming part of your routine.
Looking to support your core and pelvic floor outside of the pool too? Our postpartum recovery collection includes shorts, bands, and care items to help you bounce back with confidence.
Remember to Take Care
- Consult your doctor before starting any new activity
- Avoid swimming alone, especially at the beach
- Stay between the flags and follow safety signage
- At the beach always stay between the flags.
- Watch for slippery surfaces, wear non-slip shoes around pools
- Avoid diving or jumping into water
- Skip hot tubs and saunas, overheating can harm the baby
- Stay hydrated before and after swimming
- Exercise in moderation, overexertion can lead to oxygen being diverted away from your baby
Ready to Make a Splash?
Swimming is one of the few exercises that continues to feel good, even as your pregnancy progresses. It’s gentle on your body, calming for your mind, and easy to adapt to how you're feeling day by day.
And if exercising alone isn’t your thing, group aquatic classes can bring not only motivation but also a sense of community, something that’s especially valuable during this big life transition. Research even shows that exercising in groups can boost mental wellbeing and emotional support. So, grab your maternity swimwear, slip into the water, and enjoy the many benefits swimming has to offer. Your body and your baby will thank you for it.
Need help finding the right swimwear for your stage of pregnancy? Contact us or check out our blog on our latest swimwear faves for this summer.
Now go on, make a splash. 💧
