Registered Exercise Professionals who offer specifically tailored fitness services to pre or postnatal women must complete a Fitness-approved Continuing Education program. It is essential to train with a pre or postnatal specialist to ensure safe and needed training techniques.

Past exercise history

Pregnant women who were previously exercising may continue but are advised to modify their exercise following general physiological changes associated with pregnancy and their status - while women who were once inactive need to start at a low intensity and progress gradually.

Intensity

The most recent evidence has indicated that aerobic and resistance training at moderate intensity are considered safe and have no adverse outcomes throughout pregnancy.  Monitoring exercise intensity in pregnant women is best achieved using a perceived exertion (RPE) scale such as the Borg scale rather than heart rate.

Duration & Frequency

Women can exercise on most days in the absence of any medical issues considering some variables,  including intensity, duration, and recovery. It is recommended that session duration is limited to avoid hypoglycemia and overheating. However, intensity and duration must be considered together, i.e., low intensity can be performed for longer than moderate-intensity exercise.

It is advised to avoid the following activities:

• High impact, jerky or ballistic movements.
• Exercise intensities or duration that make the woman feel hot, exhausted, or sweat excessively.
• Sudden changes of intensity and position.
• Any exercise that involves breath-holding or Valsalva maneuver.
• Any exercise that places a significant load on the abdominals or pelvic floor, including abdominal curls, sit-ups, planks, and hovers.
• Stretching beyond a comfortable range of movement to avoid overstretching due to increased joint and ligament flexibility.
• Weight-bearing activities beyond a comfortable range of movement.
• Exercises involving lying supine from 16 weeks onwards.
• Contact activities (to minimize the risk of falls and blows to the abdomen).
• Any exercise that may cause or exacerbate any pregnancy-related condition.

Postnatal Workout Guidelines

Activity choice

Many women can be in a hurry to return to exercise. The type of activity and when a new mother can return to exercise depend on pre-existing fitness, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the post-natal health of herself and the baby. Too much and too soon can cause long-term problems and regrets. It is essential that Registered Exercise Professionals encourage women to listen to their bodies, take their time, and follow recommended guidelines when returning to various activities. Registered Exercise Professionals should continuously monitor the health of postnatal women, particularly for abdominal muscle separation, core stability, and pelvic floor function.

Recommendations for Postnatal women

Listed below are recommendations for periods of postnatal women on when to return to exercise. Factors such as altered sleep patterns, breastfeeding, hormonal changes, and establishing new routines with a baby can result in fatigue, so exercising for a postnatal woman needs to consider the individual’s energy level.

Some women may be required to do further modification in exercise if they have given birth by cesarean, have any existing pelvic joint or back pain, rectus diastasis, or have additional risk factors such as assisted delivery, a long second stage (pushing over 1 hour), and birth weight over 4kg.

0-3 weeks postnatal 

Exercise should include walking, postnatal core/deep abdominal training, and pelvic floor exercises.

3-8 weeks postnatal 

Recommended exercises at this stage include:

Walking, Swimming (once the bleeding has stopped), Gym programs - maintain posture, lightweights, no breath-holding, postnatal abdominal,  pelvic floor exercises, and low impact aerobics.

Note: Check for abdominal muscle separation.

8-12 weeks postnatal 

Recommended exercises: postnatal progress core, abdominal and pelvic floor exercises.

12-16 weeks postnatal 

Recommended exercises: abdominal and pelvic floor muscle testing is advised before returning to high impact exercise/running/sport and commencing regular abdominal exercise programs.