exerciseandpregnancy

As the evidence of the benefits of participating in physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum is strengthened, it is crucial that individuals maintain a sense of choice in the activities they participate in.

➡️Pregnancy complications in climbers were lower or comparable to the general population.
➡️Delivery outcomes were not different between those who climbed into the third trimester of pregnancy compared with those who did not
🌟 This reinforces established evidence that physical activity is a protective factor to developing disorders of pregnancy

Given the low prevalence of adverse health outcomes with climbing, as well as the low risk of falling resulting in harm, these data support the continuation of climbing during pregnancy.

Know someone who climbs who wants be in the know about the latest research? Please tag them or share this research with them. 🙏🏼

Want the whole study? Comment CLIMB below. ⬇️

It’s been an inspiring 2.5 days with an incredible global panel of clinicians, researchers, practitioners and athlete! An honour to be in Lausanne for the International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement on Sport Participation for Preconception, Pregnant and Postpartum Athletes! This will be a game changer! We can’t wait for you to see it!

👋🏼 Here in Lausanne🇨🇭at the International Olympic House to Lead the Expert group to review and provide recommendations on fertility, pregnancy and postpartum athlete health.

The last time the IOC expert group met was 10 years ago and this is the evidence summarised and the recommendations that they revealed :

➡️A significant lack of high-quality evidence specific to pregnant elite athletes.
➡️Especially the impact of high-intensity exercise and extreme doses of exercise during pregnancy on maternal and newborn outcomes,
➡️And an athlete’s ability to return to their competitive peak after childbirth.

Over the last 10 years we’ve seen an EXPLOSION of research with athletes at all levels.
This includes:
⭐️ Athletes incorporating high intensity training through pregnancy,
⭐️ Strength training has shifted from being cautioned to an essential part of prenatal training,
⭐️ A ground swell of athletes returning to their competitive peak after childbirth.
➡️What was once considered “extreme” and “taboo” is becoming more common as we develop evidence-based athlete-centered supports.

What excites you the most about an athlete guideline for pregnancy and postpartum health? Tell me below what you want to see? ⬇️

Thank you for being a voice to change the fear based narrative of exercise in pregnancy and including me in this as an expert.

Our research is clear: Exercise and sport participation during and following pregnancy is safe and beneficial for both mother and baby.
Beyond updating guidelines, we’re working to transform the global narrative so that every mother is backed by evidence, not myths, when making choices about her body and her sport.

Postpartum sleep is exceptionally difficult, especially for those whose infants wake frequently and/or have short sleep windows.

More than half of postpartum women experience poor sleep quality, which has been associated with an increased risk of depression and weight retention.

Our systematic review and meta-analysis found:
➡️ evidence that sleep interventions were associated with a greater decrease in severity of depressive symptoms compared with no intervention and
➡️that exercise interventions were associated with a greater improvement in sleep quality and reduction in daytime fatigue compared with no exercise.

We recommend adopting a healthy sleep hygiene routine (eg, avoid screen time and maintain a dark, cool, quiet environment before bed) to support maternal mental health.

💕Having substantial social and emotional support from society, family and friends is essential to support the health and well-being of postpartum women and people.

Ref: Davenport MH, Ruchat S, Jaramillo Garcia A, et al 2025 Canadian guideline for physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep throughout the first year post partum British Journal of Sports Medicine 2025;59:515-526.

Swipe to hear my big news!!! ➡️

It’s been 10 years since the IOC formed the IOC expert group.

At that time research revealed:
➡️a significant lack of high-quality evidence specific to pregnant elite athletes and especially the impact of high-intensity exercise and extreme doses of exercise during pregnancy on maternal and newborn outcomes, as well as an athlete’s ability to return to their competitive peak after childbirth.

As your know, I’ve been working to change this. ✨

Swipe to hear my big news!!!!!

And tell below what would you like to see in a new guideline? ⬇️

We suggest initiating early mobilisation with light-intensity physical activity (eg, gentle walking, pelvic floor muscle training) and progressing to moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity ((MVPA) once surgical incisions or perineal tears have sufficiently healed and vaginal bleeding (lochia) does not increase with MVPA (conditional recommendation, low certainty evidence).

Know someone who needs to know? Please share this or our postpartum guidelines we published last year with them.

Ref: Davenport MH, Ruchat S, Jaramillo Garcia A, et al 2025 Canadian guideline for physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep throughout the first year post partum British Journal of Sports Medicine 2025;59:515-526.

This is the first study to conduct a systematic review
and meta-analysis of the relationship between maternal physical activity (before and during pregnancy) on maternal mental health, and quality of life during the perinatal period.

✨ Interesting: Our review has suggested that in regards to mental health, high levels of PA before pregnancy does not have a carryover benefit into the prenatal period or postpartum periods.

This review demonstrates that high levels of PA during pregnancy decreases ⬇️ the odds of developing prenatal
depression and anxiety.

➡️Given the emerging evidence demonstrating
that adverse maternal mental health is associated with long-term neurodevelopmental impairments and chronic health problems in offspring, these results could have significant implications for the long-term health
of both women and their children.

➡️Our data further emphasize the importance of policies targeting increased PA levels during pregnancy.

🤰 What was your experience? Did physical activity help you with your pregnancy or postpartum mental health? Tell me below 👇

Ref: Cai, C., Busch, S., Wang, R., Sivak, A., & Davenport, M. H. (2022). Physical activity before and during pregnancy and maternal mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Journal of affective disorders, 309, 393–403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.143

Experiencing lumbopelvic pain (LBPP) can negatively impact quality of life and mental health. Many postpartum women will report fear of movement and avoidance behaviour due to pain, which can further impair their quality of life and perpetuate the pain cycle.

➡️This research shows: Various muscular strengthening exercises targeting the trunk muscles during the postnatal period are associated with a reduction in the symptom severity of LBPP and related disability.

➡️muscular strengthening exercises are feasible and effective

➡️Pregnancy-related LBPP will naturally resolve over time without intervention.
However … ✅ Our data demonstrated that exercise has the potential to accelerate the resolution of pain and related disability.