Table 4.
Guidance on exercise prescription and activities to perform during pregnancy
| Guidelines | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Canada | Denmark | France | Japan | Norway | Spain | United Kingdom | United States (ACOG) | United States (USDHHS) | |
| General Exercise Recommendations: | ||||||||||
| Cool down | X | X | X | |||||||
| Duration or total time, specified | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Drink water or stay hydrated | X | X | X | X | ||||||
| Flat place | X | |||||||||
| Frequency, specified | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Intensity: | ||||||||||
| Moderate | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Vigorous | X | X | X | |||||||
| Absolute (heart rate) | X | X | X | X | ||||||
| Relative (RPE) | X | X | X | X | ||||||
| Start new exercise program | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Time (10am–2pm) | X | |||||||||
| Warm-up | X | X | X | |||||||
| Wear light clothes | X | |||||||||
| Examples of Specific Activites To Do: | ||||||||||
| Aerobic activities | X | low impact | implied by duration and intensity | X | X | X | X | implied by duration and intensity | X | |
| Cross country skiing | X | |||||||||
| Nordic walking | X | |||||||||
| Pelvic floor exercise | X | X | X | |||||||
| Stationary cycling | X | X | ||||||||
| Strengthening | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
| Stretching | X | X | X | X | ||||||
| Walking | X | X | X | X | ||||||
| Water exercise, swimming | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Yoga | X | |||||||||
| Examples of Activites To Do With Caution: | ||||||||||
| Bowling | X | |||||||||
| Cross country skiing | X | |||||||||
| Horseback riding | X | |||||||||
| Golf | X | |||||||||
| Gymnastics | X | |||||||||
| Jogging, mild | X | |||||||||
| Racquet sports | X | |||||||||
RPE = rating of perceived exertion