A pregnant participant may be medically well and highly capable, but she should not be coached as though pregnancy changes nothing. For group fitness instructors, the task is to preserve the purpose of the session while adjusting intensity, impact, position, range, load and stability to suit the individual in front of you.

This instructor guide brings together practical trimester-based considerations, muscle priorities and post-pregnancy cautions, aligned with current Australian guidance. It is an educational programming resource—not a medical screening tool or a substitute for advice from a participant’s doctor, midwife, women’s health physiotherapist or accredited exercise physiologist.

The instructor’s role: screen, adapt, observe and refer

Most healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies can remain active. Australian guidance encourages aerobic activity, strengthening and pelvic-floor exercise, with modifications as the body changes. An instructor’s role is to work within their qualifications and scope:

Screen: ask about gestation, current symptoms, pregnancy complications, medical advice and recent exercise history.
Adapt: adjust the class without changing its intended training outcome unnecessarily.
Observe: watch breathing, control, balance, comfort and the participant’s response—not just repetitions.
Refer: pause and seek appropriate professional guidance when symptoms, complications or uncertainty sit outside your scope.

Pregnancy should be discussed privately before class. Recheck regularly because the answer that was appropriate three weeks ago may no longer be appropriate today.

Pre-class pregnancy screening for group fitness instructors

Ask	Why it matters	Instructor response
How many weeks pregnant are you?	Position, balance and comfort considerations evolve as pregnancy progresses.	Use gestation as context, not as the only decision-maker.
Has your doctor or midwife given you any exercise advice or restrictions?	Medical guidance overrides a generic class plan.	Work within that advice; do not reinterpret or diagnose.
Were you doing this class or similar exercise before pregnancy?	Familiar activity and a new program require different starting points.	Maintain familiar movement where suitable; introduce new activity gradually.
Do you have pain, bleeding, dizziness, pelvic pressure, leaking or unusual shortness of breath?	These may require modification, cessation or referral.	Do not encourage the participant to “push through.”
What feels different since your last session?	Day-to-day changes can be more relevant than a fixed trimester rule.	Adjust range, load, impact, position, rest or exercise choice.

Document relevant information according to your business procedures and privacy obligations. If a participant has a pregnancy complication, concerning symptoms or unclear medical advice, obtain appropriate clearance before continuing.

Trimester planning table for instructors

The table below summarises practical trimester-based considerations for general group fitness. Apply them alongside current clinical guidance and each participant’s individual response.

Stage	Programming emphasis	Positions or tasks to modify or avoid	Use extra caution with
First trimester Weeks 1–12	Keep familiar activity where appropriate, but allow for fatigue, nausea, dizziness and heat sensitivity. Begin reducing high-pressure rectus-dominant abdominal work if control changes. Ease intensity as required.	No universal position ban applies solely because it is the first trimester. Avoid any movement that causes pain, significant pressure, breath-holding or concerning symptoms.	Overheating, dehydration, sudden intensity increases and treating pre-pregnancy performance as a required benchmark.
Second trimester Weeks 13–26	Introduce more side-lying, seated, inclined, standing and hands-and-knees options. Prioritise steady transitions and stable positions.	Avoid prolonged supine work; prone work usually becomes unsuitable as the abdomen grows. Modify abdominal work that creates doming, discomfort or poor pressure control.	Wide or deeply abducted hip positions such as side-split or plié patterns; asymmetrical pelvic loading; aggressive inner-thigh work; and unstable standing or kneeling tasks with fall risk.
Third trimester Week 27 onward	Prioritise comfort, breathing, stability, controlled strength and simple movement patterns. Increase recovery and reduce complexity when needed.	Avoid prolonged supine and prone positions. Replace conventional high-pressure abdominal work. Reduce impact, maximal effort and positions that are difficult to enter or exit safely.	Wide leg positions, overhead work that changes rib or back control, asymmetrical hip loading, rapid floor transitions and any unsupported balance task that could lead to a fall.

Important: current RANZCOG guidance refers to avoiding prolonged supine exercise in the second and third trimesters. It does not require an instructor to present every brief back-lying position as automatically dangerous. If the participant feels dizzy, nauseated, breathless or unwell while supine, change position immediately.

How to modify without losing the training purpose

Class demand	Common concern	Useful instructor options
Jumping, running or fast direction changes	Increased pelvic-floor load, joint stress or loss of balance	March, step, reduce speed, remove the jump or use a controlled low-impact pattern.
Heavy or high-effort resistance	Breath-holding, straining, technique loss or excessive pressure	Reduce load, shorten the set, slow the tempo and cue continuous breathing.
Supine floor work	Discomfort or reduced venous return during later pregnancy	Use an incline, side-lying, seated, standing or hands-and-knees alternative.
Prone work	Pressure on the growing abdomen	Choose standing, quadruped, side-lying or supported incline work.
Wide stance or deep hip opening	Pelvic discomfort, instability or an unnecessarily forced range	Narrow the stance, reduce depth, add support and stay within a comfortable range.
Unilateral or asymmetrical hip work	Pelvic rotation, instability or pelvic-girdle discomfort	Reduce range and load, use support or substitute a symmetrical pattern.
Unstable standing or kneeling tasks	Fall risk as balance and centre of gravity change	Use a wall, barre or stable base; simplify coordination; remove unstable equipment.
Traditional abdominal work or planks	Doming, breath-holding, pain or poor pressure management	Reduce lever length or duration, elevate the position, or substitute supported deep-core and breathing work.

A good option should still make sense in the class. If the room is training lower-body strength, offer a stable lower-body strength pattern—not an unrelated stretch that leaves the pregnant participant feeling set aside.

Intensity, breathing and class environment

For many pregnant participants, moderate intensity is appropriate. The Australian Government recommends the talk test: at moderate intensity, the participant should still be able to hold a conversation. Avoid relying on a single universal heart-rate ceiling because pregnancy changes resting and submaximal heart rate, and individual responses vary.

Coach for:

smooth breathing rather than breath-holding or bearing down;
controlled technique rather than speed;
gradual position changes to reduce dizziness;
regular water access;
a cool, ventilated environment and breathable clothing;
a gradual warm-up and sustained cool-down; and
permission to rest without needing to justify it.

Do not use exercise as a test of toughness. The participant should be able to reduce effort before technique or comfort deteriorates.

Abdominal and pelvic-floor considerations

Pregnancy programming should gradually reduce rectus-dominant abdominal work when control changes while prioritising the pelvic floor and transversus abdominis. For instructors, the most useful translation is not “all abdominal exercise stops at a particular week.” Instead, select exercises that the participant can perform with comfortable breathing and pressure control.

Stop or change an exercise if you observe or the participant reports:

visible midline bulging or doming;
breath-holding or bearing down;
pain in the abdomen, pelvis or lower back;
pelvic heaviness, dragging or leaking; or
an inability to maintain control despite regression.

Pelvic-floor cues should not assume that every participant needs to “squeeze harder.” Some symptoms can involve overactivity as well as weakness. Refer persistent symptoms to a women’s health or pelvic-health physiotherapist.

Muscle priorities during and after pregnancy

Strength and control priorities	Mobility priorities	Programming note
Pelvic floor; deep abdominal support; gluteals; hamstrings where comfortable; lower trapezius and rhomboids; arms for future lifting and carrying demands	Pectorals; latissimus dorsi; gluteals; quadriceps and hip flexors	Use controlled, functional patterns. Stretch only through a comfortable range and do not chase extra flexibility during pregnancy.

Week-specific cut-offs for particular muscle groups should not replace individual assessment or current evidence. Symptoms, control, medical advice and the actual exercise are more informative than the muscle name alone.

Warning signs: stop exercise and refer

RANZCOG lists warning signs that require exercise to stop and medical attention to be sought. Instructors should know these before teaching a pregnant participant:

chest pain;
unexplained shortness of breath;
dizziness, feeling faint or significant headache;
muscle weakness affecting balance;
calf pain, swelling or redness;
sudden swelling of the ankles, hands or face;
vaginal bleeding or amniotic fluid loss;
decreased fetal movement once movements are normally established; or
uterine contractions or lower-back, pelvic or abdominal pain that may indicate preterm labour.

This is a stop-and-refer list, not an invitation to diagnose. Follow your emergency procedure if symptoms are urgent.

Post-pregnancy return: instructor cautions

Return to group fitness is individual and should be gradual. The Australian Government notes that a gradual return is generally safe after the six-week postnatal check, but timing varies according to birth, recovery, symptoms and professional advice. Six weeks is not an automatic clearance for every exercise.

Area	Use caution	Instructor response
Supine abdominal series and planks	Doming, separation, breath-holding, pain or poor deep-abdominal control	Regress lever, load and duration; use an elevated or supported option; refer when symptoms persist.
Wide hip positions and open-leg work	Pelvic stability and strength may take time to return	Begin with stable, symmetrical and less vulnerable positions before progressing range or complexity.
Impact	Leaking, heaviness, pain or inadequate load tolerance	Keep work low impact and recommend pelvic-health assessment when symptomatic.
Known pelvic-floor concerns or abdominal separation	Generic class modifications may be insufficient	Follow healthcare guidance and refer to an appropriately qualified professional.

Programming example: one exercise, four appropriate options

If the class plan includes jump squats, the instructor might preserve the lower-body training goal with a simple hierarchy:

Jump squat for participants for whom it is appropriate.
Bodyweight squat with heel raise.
Supported squat holding a barre or stable surface.
Sit-to-stand from a suitable-height box or bench.

The pregnant participant is not automatically assigned the easiest version. Offer the version that suits her current comfort, control, experience and professional guidance, then reassess during the set.

Common instructor mistakes

Waiting for the participant to ask: she may not know an exercise warrants modification.
Using trimester alone: gestation matters, but symptoms and individual circumstances matter more.
Removing all challenge: appropriate modification can still provide meaningful strength and fitness work.
Offering an unrelated alternative: preserve the session’s training purpose where possible.
Giving medical clearance: instructors adapt exercise; healthcare professionals diagnose and clear.
Making pregnancy public: discuss screening and modifications discreetly.
Assuming postpartum means “back to normal”: recovery, sleep, feeding, pelvic health and birth experience all affect return.

Instructor checklist before the music starts

Have I screened privately and confirmed any healthcare advice?
Do I know the participant’s gestation, experience and current symptoms?
Have I planned options for impact, supine, prone, abdominal and balance tasks?
Can each option preserve the purpose of the exercise?
Is the room cool, uncluttered and easy to move through?
Do I know the warning signs and my referral or emergency process?
Will I check in during class rather than assume that “no complaint” means comfortable?

Frequently asked questions for instructors

Should I require medical clearance from every pregnant participant?

Encourage every participant to discuss exercise with her doctor or midwife and follow your governing body, insurer and business policies. Specific written clearance is particularly important when there are complications, restrictions, symptoms or uncertainty about suitability.

Should all supine exercise stop after the first trimester?

Current RANZCOG guidance is to avoid prolonged supine exercise in the second and third trimesters. Use sensible alternatives, monitor symptoms and change position immediately if the participant feels dizzy, nauseated, breathless or unwell.

Can a pregnant participant continue lifting weights?

Resistance exercise may be appropriate in an uncomplicated pregnancy, but load and exercise choice must suit the participant. Avoid maximal lifting, straining, breath-holding, poor control and any movement that causes pain or pressure symptoms.

Should I avoid all inner-thigh and wide-leg work?

Do not treat a general cue as a universal diagnosis. Wide or heavily loaded positions may aggravate pelvic discomfort or instability for some participants. Reduce range, load and asymmetry, add support, and use individual symptoms and healthcare advice to guide decisions.

What if a participant says her doctor told her exercise is fine?

“Exercise is fine” does not make every class movement suitable. Continue to screen, observe and modify within your scope. Seek more specific guidance if complications, pain or concerning symptoms arise.

The professional standard

Pregnancy-aware coaching is not a list of blanket bans. It is a structured process of screening, thoughtful programming, observation, communication and timely referral. An instructor who can preserve the value of a class while offering dignified, purposeful options creates a safer and more welcoming experience for the participant.

Explore more Bodi Boutique resources for instructors, including programming and class-planning guidance. Consumer information about local formats is available on our group fitness and Pilates and Reformer pages.

Related Bodi Boutique guidance

How to Plan Pilates for Pregnancy: An Instructor Framework

About the author

Jazz Collier is the founder of Bodi Boutique and has worked in the fitness and beauty industries since qualifying with Certificate III in Fitness and Certificate III in Beauty in 2016. Her Pilates education includes training with Online Fitness Education and Core Collab. Jazz’s teaching approach emphasises clear instruction, purposeful regressions and helping clients move with greater confidence.

Sources and further reading

Last reviewed: September 2026. This article is general professional education and does not replace medical advice, individual assessment, governing-body requirements or an instructor’s scope-of-practice obligations.