Asia-Pacific consensus on physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period
- PMID: 34055384
- PMCID: PMC8130752
- DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000967
Asia-Pacific consensus on physical activity and exercise in pregnancy and the postpartum period
Abstract
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 Asia Diabetes 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.
Keywords: exercise; mental; obesity; physical activity; pregnancy.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: None declared.
References
-
- American College of Sports Medicine . ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer, 2018.
-
- US Department of Health and Human Services . 2018 physical activity guidelines Advisory Committee scientific report. Washington, DC, 2018. Available: https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/ [Accessed 06 Feb 2021].
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources