Can you do Handstands during Pregnancy?

Handstands while pregnant: here's everything that you need to know...

If you ask this question, most people will tell you a resounding NO, and many of my trainees have told me that they were told to stop in their pregnancies... but like the proper answer to all good questions, it starts with "it depends". And a few more questions...

Here are a few things to consider about handstands while pregnant:

Were you doing handstands before pregnancy? 👐 This definitely isn't the time to start, but if you're already confidently doing handstands, know how to fall (this is the most important part), feel confident upside down, don't feel at all dizzy, do it regularly and enjoy it - I would say that it's a shame to stop doing it. - How pregnant are you? And how big is the belly?

Pregnancy is a continuum - when you get pregnant, you don't have to suddenly STOP doing all handstands - you'll likely be able to continue doing handstand with no problem throughout your first trimester.

As you start to show, it may be harder to balance. Here's my towards the end of my first trimester, getting a bit wobbly...

A little over a month later, and the handstand situation had deteriorated somewhat to this:

Make sure you follow me on Instagram as I share my second pregnancy fitness journey and tons of no-BS fitness advice

If you're worried about "damaging" your core during pregnancy or aren't sure what's safe, you might find my Core Basics for Pregnancy Course helpful - it's free and you can sign up below.

Back to the pregnancy handstand questions....

Does being upside down while pregnant feel good?

👐 Some women feel dizzy upside down. Or maybe you just don't feel comfortable with it now you're pregnant. Totally legitimate reasons to stop.

Do you have any pain doing handstands while pregnant?

👐 Do your wrists hurt? Do you have a pain in your neck? Is the kickup starting to feel like you're going to tweak something?

I stopped doing handstands altogether around 6 months - and it wasn't so much a balance issue as the kicking up part of the movement felt too explosive - it didn't feel right once I had a belly, as though I could pull something. (I continued doing headstands into the 9th month though).

Do you WANT to do handstands while pregnant? 👐 Even if you CAN but you don't want to for any reason, you shouldn't. It's not necessary. There are plenty of other things you can do (that are more suited to pregnancy fitness). The point is if a woman DOES feel controlled, and good and ENJOYS doing handstands, she will probably be fine to continue for some time into her pregnancy.