Who and How Should Prescribe and Conduct Exercise Programs for Pregnant Women? Recommendations Based on the European Educational Standards for Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Specialists

Extensive scientific evidence has shown that prenatal physical activity is a prerequisite for the proper course of pregnancy, fetal development, labour and delivery, and the postpartum period. In 2015, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published a breakthrough statement that inactivity in pregnancy is risky behaviour. The aim of this paper is to provide answers to the questions concerning who and how should prescribe and conduct exercise programs for pregnant women. Close cooperation between the woman, her obstetric care provider and exercise specialists is necessary to promote exercise in pregnancy. Obstetricians should carefully evaluate women with medical or obstetric complications before starting the exercises. They should also provide women with general information about the benefits of prenatal exercise and the risks of physical inactivity. On the other hand, the design and implementation of the exercise program are tasks for exercise professionals, preferably ones qualified according to the European educational standards for Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Specialists. Both empirical observation and scientific research confirm the need to educate obstetric care providers, exercise professionals, and both pregnant women and their families about prenatal physical activity. They all require constantly updated information on how to use exercise to stimulate the positive development of pregnancy, ensure the greatest possible well-being for the future mother, and prepare her for childbirth and the postpartum period. These educational activities should be evidence-based. They must not perpetuate unfounded opinions, often harmful to the woman’s health, on what she should or should not do while exercising during pregnancy. The presented update underlines some pertinent recommendations in this area.