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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1540355
Contradictions and convergences in recommendations on physical activity in pregnancy in different countries after the publication of the WHO guidelines in 2020 -a scoping review
Provisionally accepted- 1 Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznan, Poland
- 2 Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Pomeranian, Poland
Objectives: The main objective of this review is to determine whether the physical activity (PA) recommendations during pregnancy issued by public health and sports medicine organizations published since 2020 in different countries around the world converge or differ and what are the emerging trends in these guidelines. Methods: The review was conducted as per the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). We searched scientific databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and SPORTDiscus with Full Text via EBSCO) and the Internet to identify papers regarding official recommendations on PA during pregnancy published by public health and sports medicine organizations. We analyzed 10 eligible guidelines, published from 2020 in English from eight countries and two international organizations.Results: The analysis of the guidelines revealed that all of them advocate for moderate-intensity PA during pregnancy. Seven documents recommended also vigorous or high-intensity activities. Some guidelines recommend it only after consultation with a healthcare provider, particularly for participants with specific health conditions. The analysis of the guidelines shows a convergence on the frequency and duration of PA, suggesting at least 150 minutes per week.Conclusions: There is a general convergence around the safety and benefits of moderate-intensity PAphysical activity during pregnancy. There is a divergence in recommendations regarding higherintensity exercise and altitude training, with limited specific guidance for these activities. However, we have seen much greater openness in this area over recent years. Our work highlights a knowledge gap regarding the safety and efficacy of more intense exercise regimens for pregnant women, emphasizing the need for further research to develop evidence-based guidelines and to address new trends in pregnant population.
Keywords: guidelines, recommendations, physical activity, Exercise, Pregnancy
Received: 05 Dec 2024; Accepted: 01 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Worska, Maciaszek, Ciążyńska and Szumilewicz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Aneta Karolina Worska, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznan, Poland
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