Imagine your daily choices in pregnancy quietly shaping your child’s metabolism, stress responses, and emotional regulation for years. That’s the compelling throughline from our time at the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology pre-conference, where leading researchers shared how movement and food quality during pregnancy build health that lasts well beyond birth.

We break down what the latest studies suggest about prenatal exercise, resistance training, and reducing ultra-processed foods. You’ll hear how even simple interventions—like pairing grocery support with a pedometer goal—can improve early childhood outcomes up to 36 months. We also talk candidly about the barriers that make “just exercise and eat well” feel unrealistic: long commutes, childcare, nausea, finances, or medical restrictions. Our aim is to cut the fear and guilt, and replace them with doable wins grounded in the 24-hour movement guideline, where any shift toward more activity and less sitting moves the needle.

Whether you’re an experienced lifter cruising through classes or taking your first steps into movement, you’ll find a flexible framework that respects context and celebrates small gains. We explore the nature–nurture blend and how epigenetics helps explain the long arc from prenatal habits to early development, without overselling certainty. The takeaway is warm and practical: choose what’s possible today, protect sleep where you can, keep stress in check, and let consistency do the heavy lifting for both you and your baby.

If this conversation helps, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, subscribe for more evidence-based guidance on pregnancy and postpartum performance, and leave a review to support the show. Your feedback shapes future episodes and helps more parents find their path.

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