Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise: An Evidence-Based
Approach (Recorded Webinar)

Video Runtime: 63 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 4 Minutes

This course is one of several recordings from the Female Athlete Health Symposium, a previously hosted live, multi-lecture webinar event. In this session, the primary instructor is introduced by another instructor who also facilitates the Q&A portion. Polling and question submission features are not available for this recording. Format and structure may differ from those of standard Medbridge courses.

In recent years, many elite athletes have openly shared their perinatal journeys, and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games featured several mothers competing at the highest level—highlighting that returning to elite sport after pregnancy is possible. Although early research in this area was limited, the past decade has seen a growing body of evidence on exercise during and after pregnancy. At the same time, social media has fueled misconceptions and fear around perinatal exercise, with some movements inaccurately labeled as harmful to the musculoskeletal system. This webinar will review current evidence-based recommendations for exercise during pregnancy, outline safe and effective parameters for training, and provide practical guidelines for return to sport in the postpartum period. Common myths will be addressed, and participants will gain a clear, comprehensive framework for supporting pregnant and postpartum individuals in both exercise and athletic performance.

Learning Objectives

• Examine current guidelines for exercise in pregnancy and postpartum
• Correlate guidelines compared to recent evidence as it relates to pregnancy and postpartum exercise
• Apply knowledge through case-based learning to support safe and effective practice