Is Padel Safe During Pregnancy? Trimester-by-Trimester Guide

By Gary, founder of RacketRise. We've gathered information to help you make informed decisions — always confirm with your healthcare provider.

Last Updated: May 2026

Medical disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your midwife, GP, or obstetrician before continuing or starting any exercise programme during pregnancy.

Quick Summary

• First trimester: possible for experienced players at reduced intensity, with medical clearance
• Second trimester: increasingly inadvisable — balance changes, ligament laxity, abdominal pressure
• Third trimester: not recommended — fall risk, overexertion risk, physical impact
• Always get specific medical clearance — every pregnancy is different
• Safe alternatives: swimming, pregnancy yoga, walking, aqua aerobics

Quick Answer: Padel may be safe in early pregnancy for women who were already playing regularly before conception, with reduced intensity and medical approval. From around 20 weeks, the combination of changing balance, ligament laxity, increased fall risk, and potential collision with partners makes padel inadvisable for most women. Your midwife or GP should give personalised guidance — this article is not a substitute for that conversation.

The Key Considerations

1. Rapid Direction Changes and Fall Risk

Padel's movement pattern — frequent lateral changes, backwards movement to the back wall, and quick stops — creates fall risk. During pregnancy:

• First trimester: balance largely unchanged, fall risk similar to non-pregnant state
• Second trimester: centre of gravity begins to shift anteriorly, subtly affecting balance and agility
• Third trimester: significant anterior weight, altered balance, and slower reflex responses all increase fall risk materially

Falls in the third trimester pose a risk to the foetus through abdominal impact. This is the primary reason most sports medicine guidelines recommend stopping contact and high-agility sports by the third trimester.

2. Ligament Laxity from Relaxin

During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin loosens ligaments throughout the body (to allow pelvic widening for birth). This affects all joints — ankles, knees, hips, spine. The consequence:

• Higher risk of ankle sprains on direction changes
• Higher risk of knee ligament strain on lateral movements
• Less joint stability overall

This laxity begins in the first trimester and peaks in the second. This is why the already-increased injury risk at padel is compounded by pregnancy.

3. Overheating

Elevated core temperature (hyperthermia) in the first trimester has been associated with neural tube defects. For this reason, avoiding overheating during exercise is important, particularly in weeks 1–12.

During padel:

• Keep sessions shorter than normal
• Hydrate continuously — 250–300ml of water every 20 minutes
• Play in cooler indoor courts rather than hot outdoor courts in summer
• Stop if you feel hot, dizzy, or breathless

4. Heart Rate Considerations

Older guidelines (often still circulating online) capped exercise heart rate at 140 bpm during pregnancy. Current guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the NHS has moved away from a fixed heart rate cap towards the "talk test": you should be able to hold a conversation during exercise without gasping.

Competitive padel at intensity will likely fail the talk test for most pregnant women. Social padel at reduced pace may pass it.

5. Abdominal Impact Risk

A padel ball travelling at speed can and does hit players in unexpected areas — including the abdomen. The risk of direct abdominal impact from a ball is low in normal play but non-zero. In doubles padel, close-quarters net play occasionally results in accidental contact from a partner's racket or body.

Trimester-by-Trimester Guide

First Trimester (Weeks 1–12)

For women who were already playing padel regularly before pregnancy:

• Continuing with reduced intensity is generally considered safe with medical approval
• Reduce pace — play social, not competitive
• Avoid extreme heat; book indoor courts
• Stay well hydrated
• Stop immediately if any bleeding, cramping, or unusual discomfort occurs
• Get explicit confirmation from your midwife or GP

For women not already playing padel:

• Pregnancy is not the time to start a new impact sport
• Begin with lower-impact options (swimming, walking) instead

Second Trimester (Weeks 13–26)

• Balance begins to shift; ligament laxity is present
• Most sports medicine practitioners advise transitioning to lower-impact exercise by weeks 18–20
• If continuing (with medical clearance), reduce to very gentle social play, avoid sprinting, and stop if any discomfort
• This is the window where many women stop racket sports

Third Trimester (Weeks 27–40)

• Padel is not recommended for the vast majority of women in the third trimester
• Centre of gravity changes significantly impair lateral movement and balance
• The risk of falling is materially higher
• Abdominal size creates discomfort and restricts rotation needed for shots
• Lower-impact alternatives are universally more appropriate

Safe Exercise Alternatives During Pregnancy

After Pregnancy: Returning to Padel

Most women can return to padel 6–12 weeks after a straightforward vaginal delivery and 12+ weeks after a Caesarean section, subject to:

• Pelvic floor assessment and sign-off from a physiotherapist
• No complications with recovery
• Gradual return to impact (start with walking, then jogging, then directional sports)

The pelvic floor is key — returning to impact sport before the pelvic floor has recovered adequately increases risk of prolapse and urinary incontinence. A women's health physiotherapist can assess readiness.

Talking to Your Healthcare Provider

Every pregnancy is different. Women with:

• High-risk pregnancies
• History of miscarriage
• Placenta previa
• Twin pregnancies
• Pre-eclampsia risk

...should all receive specific guidance from their midwife or obstetrician rather than applying general exercise guidelines.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) publishes Exercise in Pregnancy guidance, and the NHS website includes trimester-specific exercise recommendations — both are reliable UK resources.

Related Articles

• Is Padel Hard on Knees?
• Is Padel a Good Workout?
• Padel for Over 50s in the UK

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