Movement as Medicine During Pregnancy
Why the Pregnant Body Was Designed to Move
"Rest more."
Many pregnant women hear this advice throughout pregnancy.
And sometimes, it is appropriate.
Rest is important.
Recovery is important.
Listening to the body is important.
But there is another truth that often gets overlooked:
The pregnant body was designed not only to rest, but also to move.
In fact, one of the greatest misconceptions of modern maternity care is the belief that pregnancy should be spent sitting, lying down, and avoiding movement whenever possible.
While certain medical conditions may require activity restrictions, for most healthy pregnancies, movement is not the enemy.
Movement is medicine.
And increasingly, modern research is confirming what midwives, traditional cultures, and movement practitioners have observed for generations:
The body adapts best when it continues to move.
The Pregnancy Paradox
Today, many women have access to more healthcare information than ever before.
Yet at the same time, many women move less than previous generations.
Think about a typical day.
Many pregnant women spend hours:
Sitting at a desk
Driving
Using a smartphone
Watching television
Working on a laptop
This is not a criticism.
It is simply the reality of modern life.
The challenge is that the human body evolved in a very different environment.
For thousands of years, daily life naturally involved:
Walking
Squatting
Carrying
Reaching
Rotating
Climbing
Dancing
Movement was woven into daily living.
Today, movement often becomes something we must intentionally schedule.
What Does the Research Say?
The evidence supporting physical activity during pregnancy is strong.
According to the World Health Organization (2020), regular physical activity during pregnancy is associated with:
Improved cardiovascular fitness
Reduced excessive gestational weight gain
Reduced risk of gestational diabetes
Improved mental wellbeing
Improved physical function
WHO recommends that pregnant women without contraindications remain physically active throughout pregnancy.
Similarly, a large systematic review and meta-analysis by Davenport et al. found that prenatal exercise was associated with lower risks of:
Gestational diabetes
Hypertensive disorders
Excessive weight gain
Prenatal depression
without increasing risks of miscarriage, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction.
The message is increasingly clear:
Movement is not dangerous for most pregnancies.
In fact, appropriate movement is beneficial.
What Happens When We Stop Moving?
The opposite question is equally important.
What happens when movement disappears?
Research increasingly links sedentary behavior with:
Reduced physical fitness
Increased discomfort
Poorer metabolic health
Reduced psychological wellbeing
Sedentary lifestyles may also contribute to movement restrictions that become noticeable during pregnancy.
The body becomes less adaptable.
Joints become stiffer.
Breathing patterns may become less efficient.
Muscles may become less responsive.
The body simply loses some of its ability to adapt.
And pregnancy requires adaptation every single day.
Movement and Back Pain
One of the most common complaints during pregnancy is back pain.
Studies estimate that more than half of pregnant women experience some form of:
Lower back pain
Pelvic girdle pain
Sacroiliac discomfort
The causes are often multifactorial.
Hormones play a role.
Load changes play a role.
Posture changes play a role.
But movement patterns matter too.
Many women find that discomfort worsens after prolonged sitting and improves when movement is reintroduced.
This does not mean every pain can be solved with exercise.
However, it reminds us that movement often becomes part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
Movement and Sleep
Sleep disturbances are extremely common during pregnancy.
As the baby grows, many women experience:
Difficulty finding comfortable positions
Frequent waking
Hip discomfort
Back discomfort
Restlessness
Interestingly, research suggests that regular physical activity may contribute to improved sleep quality during pregnancy.
Many women report sleeping better after engaging in gentle movement programs.
Not because movement magically fixes sleep.
But because movement helps regulate multiple systems that influence sleep:
Muscles
Circulation
Breathing
Stress regulation
Movement and Fetal Positioning
This topic deserves careful discussion.
Around the world, many movement programs claim to "turn breech babies."
The reality is more nuanced.
Current evidence does not support any specific exercise program as a guaranteed method for correcting fetal position.
This is important to acknowledge.
However, movement remains relevant.
Why?
Because maternal mobility influences the environment in which the baby moves.
Movement can support:
Maternal comfort
Pelvic adaptability
Body awareness
Positional variation
The relationship is indirect rather than guaranteed.
Pelvic Wisdom therefore avoids making claims that specific movements will automatically change fetal position.
Instead, we focus on helping mothers create a body that remains adaptable and mobile.
Movement and Birth
Perhaps nowhere is movement more important than labor itself.
The World Health Organization recommends encouraging women to:
Move freely
Change positions
Follow comfort cues
during labor whenever clinically appropriate.
Research suggests that maternal mobility may contribute to:
Greater comfort
Shorter labor duration in some cases
Improved birth experiences
Movement is not simply something women do during labor.
Movement is part of how the body responds to labor.
Beyond Exercise: Movement as Human Expression
When many people hear the word exercise, they imagine:
Repetitions
Workouts
Fitness programs
Pelvic Wisdom approaches movement differently.
Movement is not only exercise.
Movement is expression.
Movement is communication.
Movement is culture.
Movement is identity.
This is where the Pelvic Wisdom Maternity Dance Project emerged.
Pelvic Wisdom Maternity Dance: Nusantara Edition
One of the most unique aspects of Pelvic Wisdom is its exploration of movement traditions from across Indonesia.
Not because traditional dance has been proven to improve birth outcomes.
The evidence for that claim does not currently exist.
Rather, traditional movement offers a fascinating opportunity to explore:
Mobility
Rhythm
Balance
Body awareness
Cultural connection
through a uniquely Indonesian lens.
Pelvic Wisdom Maternity Dance was developed as an educational movement experience inspired by movement qualities found in traditional Indonesian dances.
It is not intended as a cultural performance.
It is not intended as a replacement for clinical care.
It is a way of reconnecting women with movement.
Learning from Java
Several movement elements were inspired by Javanese dance traditions.
One example is:
Mendhak
A lowered stance commonly seen in classical Javanese dance.
Biomechanically, this position encourages:
Lower limb strength
Hip mobility
Postural awareness
Balance
Another example is:
Ombak Banyu
Inspired by the imagery of flowing water.
This movement incorporates:
Lateral weight shifting
Pelvic mobility
Thoracic movement
Breath coordination
The movement feels gentle.
Yet it challenges coordination and body awareness.
Learning from Bali
Balinese dance traditions contribute different movement qualities.
Many Balinese movements involve:
Controlled transitions
Dynamic posture changes
Expressive upper-body movement
Rhythmic coordination
These qualities can be adapted into pregnancy-friendly movement exploration.
Again, the purpose is not performance.
The purpose is movement literacy.
Learning from Indonesian Textiles
Movement within Pelvic Wisdom is not limited to the body alone.
Traditional textiles such as:
Jarik
Selendang
also become movement tools.
They may be used for:
Support
Feedback
Comfort
Partner-assisted movement
This forms part of the Pelvic Wisdom pillar:
Touch & Textile
A dimension rarely discussed in conventional exercise programs.
Why Culture Matters
Pregnancy is not only biological.
It is also cultural.
Every woman experiences pregnancy within:
A family
A community
A culture
Movement traditions often carry stories, meanings, and memories.
By incorporating cultural movement elements, Pelvic Wisdom seeks to create a bridge between:
Traditional knowledge
and
Modern movement science.
Not replacing one with the other.
But allowing them to have a conversation.
The Bigger Message
The purpose of movement during pregnancy is not to achieve perfect fitness.
It is not to prepare for a competition.
It is not to force the body into ideal positions.
The purpose is adaptation.
The purpose is confidence.
The purpose is connection.
When women move, they often begin noticing:
How they breathe
How they stand
How they balance
How they respond to discomfort
How their bodies change
Movement becomes information.
And information becomes confidence.
Final Thoughts
The pregnant body was never designed for complete stillness.
It was designed for adaptation.
Movement is one of the body's oldest tools for adaptation.
Modern research increasingly supports its value.
Midwives have observed its importance for generations.
Traditional cultures have woven it into daily life.
Pelvic Wisdom simply brings these ideas together.
Not as a workout.
Not as a performance.
But as a reminder:
Movement is not something separate from pregnancy.
For many women, movement is part of how pregnancy unfolds.
And sometimes, the most powerful medicine begins with something as simple as taking a step, shifting your weight, breathing deeply, and moving with intention.
References
World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. 2020.
World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Recommendations: Intrapartum Care for a Positive Childbirth Experience. 2018.
Davenport MH, et al. Prenatal Exercise and Maternal Outcomes. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Evidence base informing Canadian Guideline, updated 2019.
Mottola MF, et al. 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy.
Kibuka M. Evaluating the Effects of Maternal Positions in Childbirth: An Overview of Cochrane Reviews. European Journal of Midwifery. 2021.
International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Philosophy and Model of Midwifery Care. 2025.
WHO ANC Recommendations for a Positive Pregnancy Experience. WHO, updated guidance.