Physical Activity and Exercise in Pregnancy

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Amy M. Johnson ◽  
Maura Graham
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity And Exercise ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

scholarly journals Asia-Pacific consensus on physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e000967
Author(s):  
Ryan Lee ◽  
Serene Thain ◽  
Lay Kok Tan ◽  
Terry Teo ◽  
Kok Hian Tan
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Postpartum Period ◽  
International Workshop ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Consensus Recommendations ◽  
Physical Activity And Exercise ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

Physical activity and exercise in pregnancy are generally beneficial and enhance the physical and mental health of women. These benefits also prevent excessive weight gain and reduce risks of obesity in pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, higher rates of caesarean delivery, macrosomia and stillbirth. Thus, there is a need to optimise perinatal exercise and physical activity globally. There is currently no consensus recommendation on the role of physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period in the Asia-Pacific region. In this paper, we present seven key consensus recommendations on physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period by 18 key members representing 10 countries in Asia-Pacific regions during an international workshop of the AsiaDiabetes in Pregnancy Conference in Singapore on 11–12 January 2020. Through these consensus recommendations, we hope to improve the metabolic health of pregnant women living in Asia-Pacific regions by educating the public and guiding healthcare professionals on the safety and importance of physical exercise and activity to benefit pregnant women and after childbirth.

Biomechanical Adaptations of Gait in Pregnancy: Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise

2019 ◽  
pp. 95-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Santos-Rocha ◽  
Marco Branco ◽  
Liliana Aguiar ◽  
Filomena Vieira ◽  
António Prieto Veloso
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity And Exercise ◽  
In Pregnancy

Summary of Guidelines for Exercise in Pregnancy–are they Comprehensive Enough for Designing the Contents of a Prenatal Exercise Program?

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Szumilewicz ◽  
Aneta Worska ◽  
Natalia Rajkowska ◽  
Rita Santos-Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
High Quality Research ◽  
Official Position ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
Prenatal Exercise ◽  
In Pregnancy

Background: Regular physical activity during pregnancy has a positive effect on the psychophysical condition of the pregnant woman, pregnancy and fetal development, parturition and the postpartum period. However, its level in pregnant women is insufficient in most countries. For an exercise program to be effective it must take into account four training components: intensity, frequency, duration and its content - through a proper selection of the type of exercises and their technique. In this work we aimed to answer the question what information on the contents of prenatal exercises is provided in the current guidelines for exercise during pregnancy in different countries. Methods and Results: We have analyzed 11 documents, that were the official position of national obstetrics, gynecology, or sports medicine institutions from 7 countries. The guidelines provide little information on the contents of prenatal exercise and on the adaptation of sports activities to pregnancy. Conclusions: The guidelines for exercise in pregnancy should be updated based on high-quality research and in collaboration with practitioners in the field of prenatal physical activity, which could increase the chances of their implementation. Trustworthy and comprehensive guidelines created on the basis of international and interdisciplinary initiatives should be disseminated among all interested in prenatal physical activity: pregnant women and their families, obstetrics care providers and exercise professionals to enable them an effective cooperation and to globally promote exercise in pregnancy.

scholarly journals Perceived Barriers to Exercise in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valliammai Jayanthi Thirunavuk Arasoo ◽  
Nisha Angela Dominic ◽  
Amutha Ramadas ◽  
Kean Heng Lim ◽  
Chong Wei Tionga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Gestational Diabetes ◽  
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Barriers To Exercise ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

Introduction: Good control of glycaemia negates potential maternal and fetal complications. A diet suitable for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a first line approach. However, little is said about suitable exercise in pregnancy that will potentially help control glycaemia. This pilot study seeks to understand the perceived barriers to exercise in women with GDM. Materials and Methods: This crosssectional study recruited patients with GDM on diet control at the antenatal clinic of Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru, Malaysia between October 2017 and January 2018. Those who fulfilled the recruitment criteria were approached and 89 women consented to participate. Data was obtained from antenatal records and a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.3 years. More than 80% were Para 1 and above. 69.6% were either overweight or obese at booking of pregnancy. 80.9% were aware that exercise was necessary for women with GDM. Only 6.7% say that healthcare professionals were their source of information on exercise in pregnancy. 77.3% of the women with low physical activity had full time jobs. Housewives (64.5%) had the highest level of physical activity. Tiredness (43.8%), childcare duties (38.2%) and lack of time (27.0%) were the most common perceived barriers to exercise. Nulliparity was significantly associated with tiredness. Conclusion: Main barriers to exercise are tiredness and childcare duties. Health care professionals did little in educating women with GDM on suitable exercise.

How APPropriate are exercise apps for pregnant women? A systematic search and content analysis of evidence-based content, features of exercise instruction, and expert involvement. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Hayman ◽  
Kristie-Lee Alfrey ◽  
Kim Waters ◽  
Summer Cannon ◽  
Gregore Iven Mielke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
Exercise During Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

BACKGROUND Guidelines on physical activity/exercise during pregnancy recommend all women without contraindications engage in regular physical activity to improve both their own health and the health of their baby. Many women are uncertain how to safely engage in physical activity/exercise during this life-stage and are increasingly using mobile applications (apps) to access health-related information. However, the extent to which apps provide physical activity/exercise advice aligns with current evidence-based pregnancy recommendations is currently unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic search and content analysis of apps that promote physical activity/exercise in pregnancy to examine: (1) alignment of the content with current evidence-based recommendations; (2) delivery, format and features of physical activity/exercise instruction; and (3) credentials of app developers. METHODS Systematic searches were conducted in the Australian AppStore and GooglePlay stores in October 2020. Apps were identified using combinations of search terms relevant to pregnancy and physical activity/exercise and screened for inclusion (primary focus on physical activity/exercise during pregnancy, free to download or did not require immediate paid subscription and an average user rating of 4+ out of 5). Each app was then independently reviewed using an author-designed extraction tool. Data were exported, collated, and reported using descriptive statistics. RESULTS Twenty-seven apps were included in this review (GooglePlay: n=16 and AppStore: n=11). All were exercise-based apps that predominately recommended structured and purposeful activity. Two-thirds (n=17) provided some information relating to each of the FITT principles (frequency, intensity, time, type) of exercise; however, only three provided this information in-line with current evidence-based guidelines. Just over one-third of apps (n=10) provided information about contraindications to exercise during pregnancy and referenced the supporting evidence. No apps actively engaged in screening for potential contraindications. Only four apps collected information about the user’s current exercise behaviours, three apps allowed users to personalise features relating to their exercise preferences, and just over one-third (n=10) provided information about developer credentials. CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed that few exercise apps designed for pregnancy aligned with current evidence-based physical activity guidelines. No apps screened users for contraindications to physical activity/exercise during pregnancy and most lacked appropriate personalisation features to account for individual characteristics. Few involved qualified experts during the development of the app. As such, there is a need to improve the quality of apps that promote exercise in pregnancy, to ensure women are appropriately supported to engage in exercise, and the potential risk of injury, complications and/or adverse pregnancy outcomes for both mother and child is minimised. This could be done by providing expert guidance that aligns with current recommendations, introducing screening measures and features that enable personalisation and tailoring to individual users, or by developing a recognised system for regulating apps. CLINICALTRIAL Not required

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