Table 1.

Summary of recommendations over time in the United States regarding physical activity in pregnancy. Data are presented chronologically.

Guidelines	Exercise ok during pregnancy?	Frequency and duration	Intensity	Recommended type(s) of exercise	Heart rate / temperature limitations
ACOG, 1985 82	Yes, only for individuals with active pre-pregnancy lifestyle; exercise discouraged for those with sedentary pre-pregnancy lifestyle	Regular exercise ≥ 3 times/week	Regular exercise to strenuous/vigorous activity Vigorous activity for 15 minutes maximum	Any vigorous activity should have a 5-minute period of muscle warmup and cool down (slow walking, stationary cycling low resistance)	<140 beats/min Core body temperature <100.4° F (38° C)
ACOG Technical Bulletin, 1994 83	Yes	Regular exercise ≥ 3 times/week	Moderate; avoid exercising to exhaustion	Weight-bearing activities, if continued at pre-pregnancy intensity, cycling, swimming	Not specified
ACOG Committee for Obstetric Practice, 2002 84	Yes	≥ 30 minutes/day most days of the week	Moderate	‘Physical activity’; avoid scuba diving and activities with high-risk of abdominal trauma	Not specified
ACOG Committee Opinion, 2015 35	Yes	20–30 minutes per day on most or all days of the week	Moderate	Aerobic or Strength-conditioning exercises	Not specified
ACOG Committee Opinion, 2020 85	Yes, for majority of patients, provided no medical or pregnancy contraindication	30–60 minutes per session, 150 minutes per week, spread throughout the week, aerobic and strength training, though figure provides guidelines regarding limiting lifting by trimester	Moderate perceived exertion, defined as 12–14 on the Borg scale	Walking, stationary cycling, aerobic exercises, dancing, resistance exercises, stretching exercises, hydrotherapy	Not specified, though table with a ‘recommended exercise regimen’ suggests an intensity level resulting in ‘less than 60–80% of age-predicted maximum maternal heart rate, usually <140 beats per minute’ and ‘thermoneutral or controlled conditions (air conditioning), avoiding prolonged exposure to heat’
World Health Organization guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior 2020 86	Yes	At least 150 minutes per week	Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity. Limit the amount of time being sedentary. Physical activity of ‘any intensity’ provides health benefits.	Incorporate a variety of aerobic and muscle-strengthening; adding gentle stretching ‘may also be beneficial’	Not specified

Abbreviations: ACOG = American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists