Playing Pickleball During Pregnancy

Staying active, protecting your body and adapting your game

By Michael Falco • Certified Master Trainer, ISSA Personal Trainer, ISSA Nutritionist
November 11, 2026 • 4 min read

For women who love pickleball, pregnancy can raise an unexpected question: Can they continue playing the sport they enjoy, or is it time to put the paddle away?

Staying active during pregnancy offers important health benefits, and experienced players may be able to continue with appropriate modifications. However, pregnancy affects balance, joint stability and endurance. Familiar movements, such as reaching for a wide dink or chasing a lob, may become more challenging.

Unlike walking or swimming, pickleball involves rapid direction changes, lunges and sudden stops. For women with uncomplicated pregnancies, continued participation may be possible with medical approval. The key is knowing when to modify the game or step away from the court.

Why Exercise Still Matters

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly for most women with uncomplicated pregnancies.

Regular exercise supports cardiovascular fitness, healthy weight management and may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. It can also improve mood, sleep and overall well-being.

ACOG notes that experienced racket-sports players may be able to continue exercising with their healthcare provider’s approval. Moderate recreational pickleball may contribute to fitness goals while maintaining the sport’s social benefits.

Moderate intensity means breathing harder while still being able to carry on a conversation. Difficulty speaking comfortably may indicate excessive exertion.

What Changes During Pregnancy?

As the abdomen grows, the body’s center of gravity shifts forward, affecting posture, coordination and balance. Hormonal changes also increase ligament flexibility, potentially reducing stability around the ankles, knees, hips and pelvis.

On the court, these changes may become noticeable during lateral movement, sudden stops or quick pivots. A deep lunge or abrupt turn to retrieve a lob may feel less controlled.

Fatigue and endurance can also fluctuate, making shorter sessions and additional recovery time necessary. These changes do not automatically require stopping exercise, but they make movement awareness increasingly important.

Greatest Risk: Losing Your Balance

One of the primary concerns with pickleball during pregnancy is falling.

Running backward for a lob, reaching outside a stable stance or making an emergency lunge increases the likelihood of losing balance. Pregnancy-related changes in coordination and joint stability can make these movements particularly challenging.

Players should avoid diving, running backward and attempting shots requiring uncontrolled movement. Communicating with a doubles partner about court coverage can reduce collisions and unnecessary risks.

A controlled game emphasizing positioning and softer shots may reduce physical demands, although no style of play eliminates fall risk.

The objective is to maintain control rather than retrieve every ball.

Adapting Your Game by Trimester

There is no universal point when every pregnant woman must stop playing pickleball. ACOG does not establish trimester-specific rules for the sport, so decisions should reflect individual health, symptoms and medical guidance.

First Trimester: Manage Energy and Heat

Experienced players may still feel comfortable participating in moderate recreational games. However, fatigue, nausea and heat sensitivity can affect performance before visible physical changes occur.

Stay hydrated, take additional breaks and avoid excessive heat or humidity. Indoor courts or cooler playing conditions may be preferable.

Second Trimester: Reduce Court Coverage

As balance changes, reducing unnecessary movement becomes increasingly important.

Doubles may be more manageable than singles because players share court coverage. A supportive partner can retrieve lobs, cover middle balls and handle difficult shots.

Focus on controlled footwork and shorter exchanges. Avoid deep lunges, jumping overheads and abrupt pivots.

Third Trimester: Prioritize Stability

Changes in balance, mobility and endurance may make competitive play less appropriate.

Some women may remain comfortable with gentle drills if medically approved. Others may need to transition to lower-risk activities such as walking, swimming or stationary cycling.

The decision should depend on physical capability and medical guidance rather than a predetermined number of weeks.

Playing Smarter on the Court

For women medically cleared to continue playing, several adjustments can reduce unnecessary physical demands.

Choose Doubles Over Singles

Sharing court coverage reduces running and provides more opportunities for recovery. Choose a partner who understands your limitations.

Focus on Controlled Movement

Avoid running backward, diving, deep lunges and sudden pivots. Let difficult shots go rather than attempting risky recoveries.

Emphasize the Soft Game

Controlled dinking and shorter rallies may require less movement than aggressive baseline exchanges. Maintain a stable stance.

Wear Supportive Court Shoes

Proper footwear provides traction and lateral support. Pregnancy-related swelling or changes in foot size may require a different fit.

Manage Hydration and Temperature

Drink water before, during and after playing. Avoid excessive heat and shorten sessions when fatigue develops.

Reduce Competitive Pressure

Tournaments and highly competitive games may encourage unnecessary risks. Recreational play and controlled drills may be more appropriate.

Recognizing When to Stop

ACOG advises stopping exercise and contacting a healthcare provider if symptoms include vaginal bleeding, dizziness, chest pain, unusual shortness of breath before exercise, headache, muscle weakness, calf pain or swelling, painful contractions or leaking amniotic fluid.

Significant pelvic discomfort, severe joint pain or sudden balance difficulties should also prompt players to stop.

A fall or direct impact to the abdomen warrants contacting the prenatal care team, even without immediate symptoms. Severe symptoms may require emergency medical attention.

Certain pregnancy complications may make pickleball inappropriate. Medical approval should always guide participation.

Returning to Pickleball After Childbirth

Pregnancy and delivery can affect abdominal strength, pelvic floor function, joint stability and conditioning. Returning to competitive movement requires patience.

Following medical clearance, begin with light activity, serving practice, controlled dinking and short rallies. Progress gradually to recreational doubles as strength, endurance and balance improve.

Singles and competitive matches should resume only when the body comfortably tolerates greater intensity.

Persistent pain, pelvic pressure, urinary leakage or unusual bleeding during activity should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.

Staying in the Game

Pregnancy does not automatically mean giving up pickleball. Experienced players with uncomplicated pregnancies may be able to remain active with medical guidance and appropriate modifications.

As balance, endurance and stability change, the game may need to change too. Sometimes that means shorter games, reduced court coverage or controlled drills. Other times, it means temporarily choosing a lower-risk activity.

The goal is not to play through every stage of pregnancy. It is to remain healthy, active and ready to enjoy pickleball long after childbirth.

A missed point lasts a moment. A healthy return to the court is worth far more. ●