Did you know that fewer than 15% of women will actually achieve the minimum recommendation of 150 min per week of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout their pregnancy? Meeting the recommendation can reduce the risk of pregnancy-related illness such as depression by at least 25%, and the risk of developing gestational diabetes, hypertension and preeclampsia by 40%! So why are some clinicians still scared to prescribe physical activity to soon-to-be-mums?

On this week’s episode, Dr. Margie Davenport PhD joins BJSM’s Daniel Friedman (T: @ddfriedman) to address common misconceptions regarding physical activity during pregnancy and explain the new 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy (https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/21/1339) that was recently published in the BJSM.

Dr. Davenport is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. She received her PhD in Integrative Exercise Physiology from the University of Western Ontario and conducted a two year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Calgary. She is an emerging expert in metabolic and cardiovascular adaptations associated with normal and complicated pregnancies. Her primary interest is in the benefits of exercise prior to, during and following pregnancy for both mother and child.

In this 20 minute conversation, Dr. Davenport discusses:

· Who should be physically active throughout pregnancy + contraindications

· How much physical activity is recommended throughout pregnancy

· Examples of physical activity

· Common misconceptions and safety precautions

Resources:

www.exerciseandpregnancy.ca

Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtvzYizIALcs5-RzfHrf5UA

2019 Canadian Guideline: http://csepguidelines.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/4208_CSEP_Pregnancy_Guidelines_En_P2A.pdf.