Exercise Guidelines for Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

Extract from: The Sports Medicine Bible by Dr Lyle J Micheli
(former president of the American College of Sports Medicine

1. Regular exercise (at least 3x per week) is preferable to intermittent activity.
2. Avoid competitive sports
3. Vigorous exercise should not be performed in hot humid weather or during a period of febrile illness
4. Jerky bouncy motions should be avoided.
5. Exercise should be done on a wooden floor or tightly carpeted surface to reduce shock and provide sure footing
6. Deep flexion or extension of joints should be avoided because of connective tissue laxity
7. Activities that require jumping, jarring motions or rapid changes in direction should be avoided because of joint instability
8. Vigorous exercise should be preceded by a five minute period of warm up by slow walking or stationary cycling with low resistance
9. Vigorous exercise should be followed by a period of gradually declining activity that includes gentle stationary stretching. Stretches should not be taken to the point of maximum resistance because of connective tissue laxity.
10. Heart rate should be measured at times of peak activity. Target rates should not exceed recommended postpartum heart rate limits
11. Slowly rise from the floor to avoid orthostatic hypotension that may cause fainting.
12. Drink liquids liberally before, during and after exercise to prevent dehydration.
13. Women who have led sedentary lifestyles should begin with physical activity of very low intensity and advance levels gradually
14. Stop activity if any unusual symptoms occur – this include pain, bleeding, dizziness, faintness, shortness of breath, palpitations, fast or irregular heartbeat, back or pubic pain, or difficulty walking

Heart rate guidelines for postpartum exercise
Age/ Limit (75% maxm ht rate for age)/ maximum
20 150 200
25 146 195
30 142 190
35 138 185
40 135 180
45 131 175

Exercise guidelines for pregnancy only

1. Maternal heart rate should not exceed 140 beats /min
2. Strenuous activities should not exceed 15 minutes in duration
3. No exercise should be performed in the supine position after the fourth month of gestation is completed
4. Exercises that employ the valsalva manuerver (breath holding) should be avoided
5. Calorie intake should be adequate to meet not only the extra energy needs of pregnancy and the exercise performed
6. Maternal core temperature should not exceed 38 degrees centigrade