Pregnancy and physical activity: facilitating change

There are several benefits of physical activity (PA) in pregnancy, yet engagement levels are low. Less than 30% of pregnant women worldwide meet PA recommendations, compared with 45-55% of non-pregnant women in developed countries.¹ Benefits of PA in pregnancy include; reduced risk of hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes, and decreased gestational weight gain.^1,2 Furthermore, PA can be used in pregnancy to treat medical conditions, such as improving glycaemic control in pregnant women with diabetes.³ However, less than half of healthcare professionals know the PA pregnancy guidelines and only one third of pregnant women receive professional PA guidance.^4,5 Whilst PA pregnancy guidelines exist, the translation of these guidelines to the end user has not been effective. In this commentary, we discuss PA recommendations during pregnancy, how healthcare professionals can support and facilitate PA in pregnancy, and explore future research opportunities.