Benefits of exercise for pubic symphysis dysfunction
When the front of your pelvis hurts, it is normal to worry that moving will make it worse. In most cases of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain, gentle, well-chosen movement is safe and helps you feel more stable over time.1,4
Exercise can help by:
Improving how your hips, core, and pelvic floor share load during daily tasks, like walking, stairs, and rolling in bed.1,4
Reducing pain sensitivity and fear of movement, so your body trusts motion again.1,4
Building strength and control in the muscles that support the pelvis, which can make single-leg activities feel more tolerable.4,5
Rest can be useful during a flare, but avoiding movement for long periods often makes things feel stiffer, weaker, and more sensitive. Most guidelines recommend education plus active care as a first step.1,4
Effective exercises for pubic symphysis dysfunction
Not every exercise is right for every person. If a movement causes sharp pain or new symptoms, stop and consult a medical provider.
1. Pillow squeeze
Why it helps: Helps create gentle “closing” support at the front of the pelvis.1,4
How to do it: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Put a pillow between your knees. Gently squeeze the pillow at about 30% effort for 5 to 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 6 to 10 times.
2. Glute bridge
Why it helps: Helps your glutes share the workload so the pelvis feels less stressed with standing and walking.4
How to do it: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet hip-width apart. Keep your knees pointing straight ahead, not drifting apart. Lift your hips a small amount, pause 2 to 3 seconds, then lower slowly. Start with 6 to 10 reps.
3. Side-lying clamshells
Why it helps: Helps hip muscles support the pelvis during walking and stairs.4
How to do it: Lie on your side with knees bent, feet together. Keep your pelvis stacked (do not roll backward). Lift the top knee slightly, then lower. Keep the movement small and smooth. Do 8 to 12 reps per side.
4. Stand to sit (even weight on both feet)
Why it helps: Helps you practice a daily movement without “twisting” through one side.4
How to do it: Sit on a chair with feet evenly placed under you. Stand up by pushing through both feet at the same time, then sit back down slowly. If it helps, place your hands on the chair arms. Do 5 to 10 reps.
Helpful stretches for pubic symphysis dysfunction
1. Hip flexor stretch
How it helps: Can ease tension at the front of the hips that may build up when you change how you walk or stand.4
How to do it: Kneel with the back knee padded, keep your feet in line like railroad tracks, not wide. Gently shift forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the back hip. Hold 15 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times per side.
2. Figure-4 stretch (glute stretch, supported)
How it helps: Loosens the small muscle in the buttock that can aggravate symptoms.
How to do it: Cross one ankle over the opposite knee, creating a figure-4 shape with your legs. Gently press down on the knee and lean forward from your hips as far as comfortable, keeping your back straight. You should feel your hip and glute stretching.
3. Child's pose
How it helps: Can provide a gentle back and hip stretch, and help you relax guarding muscles.4
How to do it: How to do it: Kneel and sit back toward your heels, reach arms forward. Keep knees closer together if widening feels uncomfortable. Breathe slowly for 20 to 40 seconds.
Did you know?
Many people with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain improve with conservative care, especially when education and exercise are part of the plan.1,4 In other musculoskeletal conditions, research has also found that fully remote, exercise-based digital rehabilitation can lead to meaningful improvements with high adherence and no program-related serious adverse events, supporting movement as a safe, scalable approach when it is guided well.
Exercises to avoid with pubic symphysis dysfunction
These are common triggers, not strict rules. The goal is to keep movement tolerable, then build back up gradually.
Big single-leg loading, like deep lunges, single-leg squats, or step-ups that cause sharp front pelvic pain.1
Wide-stance or heavy hip abduction work, like very wide squats or aggressive side lunges, especially early on.1
Fast twisting or pivoting, like quick turning while carrying a baby or laundry.1
Stretching that forces legs far apart, especially if it reproduces your pubic pain or “clicking.”2
A helpful rule: aim for discomfort that feels “workable” and settles within 24 hours, not pain that spikes sharply or keeps escalating.4
Clinical insight
Postpartum pelvic girdle pain guidelines recommend education and progressive exercise focused on lumbopelvic control, instead of prolonged rest. A practical way to guide progress is to use functional tolerance, like easier rolling in bed, walking, and stair climbing, plus improving load-transfer tasks such as the Active Straight Leg Raise over time.1,4,5
Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. Pelvic girdle pain and pregnancy. 2024.
3
Aldabe D, Ribeiro DC, Milosavljevic S, Bussey MD. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain and its relationship with relaxin levels: a systematic review. Eur Spine J. 2012. doi:10.1007/s00586-012-2162-x
4
Liddle SD, Pennick V. Interventions for preventing and treating low-back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001139.pub4
5
Mens JMA, Vleeming A, Snijders CJ, Koes BW, Stam HJ. Reliability and validity of the Active Straight Leg Raise test in posterior pelvic pain since pregnancy. Spine. 2001.
6
Burani E, et al. Predictive factors for pregnancy-related persistent pelvic girdle pain. Medicina. 2023. doi:10.3390/medicina59122123
7
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Guidelines for Diagnostic Imaging During Pregnancy and Lactation (Committee Opinion No. 723). 2017.
