New research supporting pregnant women to stay active

New research from the Active Pregnancy Foundation has been published that shines a light on a crucial question: how can healthcare professionals better support pregnant women when it comes to being active? A scoping review of twenty one UK studies found that many women are still not receiving the guidance they need and when advice is given, it can be inconsistent, unclear, or focused heavily on risks rather than the many benefits of staying active. This can leave women feeling unsure, anxious, or even believing that physical activity during pregnancy is unsafe.

At the same time, healthcare professionals reported feeling underprepared for these conversations. Limited time, lack of training, and uncertainty about current guidelines all contribute to inconsistent messaging.

But there’s positive news. The review provides clear, evidence-based recommendations to improve how these conversations happen.

These include:

• Addressing safety concerns upfront

• Highlighting benefits beyond physical health, including mental wellbeing and social connection

• Using encouraging, non-judgemental language

• Focusing on what women can do, not just what to avoid

To help put these insights into practice, the team has produced a knowledge-translation blog for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, including an infographic summarising the findings.

Find out more