Exercise and Sporting Activity During Pregnancy

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

   PDF

2. Physical Activity, Exercise, and Health Promotion for the Pregnant Exerciser and the Pregnant Athlete

   • Mireille van Poppel, Katrine Mari Owe, Rita Santos-Rocha, Hélia Dias

   Pages 1-17

3. Psychological, Social and Behaviour Changes During Pregnancy: Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise

   • Lou Atkinson, Megan Teychenne

   Pages 19-43

4. Physiological Changes During Pregnancy: Main Adaptations, Discomforts, and Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise

   • María Perales, Taniya Singh Nagpal, Ruben Barakat

   Pages 45-56

5. Body Composition Changes During Pregnancy and Effects of Physical Exercise

   • Nuno M. Pimenta, Mireille van Poppel

   Pages 57-93

6. Biomechanical Adaptations of Gait in Pregnancy: Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise

   • Rita Santos-Rocha, Marco Branco, Liliana Aguiar, Filomena Vieira, António Prieto Veloso

   Pages 95-134

7. Specific Musculoskeletal Adaptations in Pregnancy: Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Girdle, and Low Back Pain: Implications for Physical Activity and Exercise

   • Kari Bø, Britt Stuge, Gunvor Hilde

   Pages 135-155

8. Evidence-Based and Practice-Oriented Guidelines for Exercising During Pregnancy

   • Anna Szumilewicz, Aneta Worska, Rita Santos-Rocha, Miguel Ángel Oviedo-Caro

   Pages 157-181

9. Exercise Testing and Prescription for Pregnant Women

   • Rita Santos-Rocha, Isabel Corrales Gutiérrez, Anna Szumilewicz, Simona Pajaujiene

   Pages 183-230

10. Exercise Selection and Adaptations During Pregnancy

    • Anna Szumilewicz, Rita Santos-Rocha

    Pages 231-308

11. Therapeutic Exercise Regarding Musculoskeletal Health of the Pregnant Exerciser and Athlete

    • Augusto Gil Pascoal, Britt Stuge, Patrícia Mota, Gunvor Hilde, Kari Bø

    Pages 309-326

12. Nutritional Requirements for the Pregnant Exerciser and Athlete

    • Maria-Raquel G. Silva, Belén Rodriguez Doñate, Karen Nathaly Che Carballo

    Pages 327-345

This clinically and practice oriented, multidisciplinary book is intended to fill the gap between evidence-based knowledge on the benefits of physical activity and exercise during pregnancy and the implementation of exercise programmes and related health promotion measures in pregnant women. It will provide medical, sports, and fitness professionals both with the knowledge needed to allay undue fears regarding the consequences of exercising during pregnancy and with the practical expertise to offer optimal guidance on exercising to pregnant exercisers and athletes. 

Readers will find up-to-date evidence on the psychological, social, physiological, body composition, musculoskeletal, and biomechanical changes that occur during pregnancy and their implications for physical activity and exercise. Detailed descriptions are provided of the components of exercise testing and prescription for pregnant women, the current evidence-based and practice-oriented guidelines, and exercise selection and adaptation during pregnancy. Exercises specifically targeting musculoskeletal health are discussed separately, and a concluding chapter explains the nutritional requirements in pregnant women who exercise.

• Biomechanics
• Body composition
• Exercise prescription
• Exercise testing
• Gait
• Guidelines
• Low back pain
• Nutrition
• Pelvic floor
• Pelvic girdle pain
• Pregnant exerciser
• Physical activity
• Physiology
• Psychology
• Sports

“The audience is health professionals, exercise and sports professionals, researchers and students. … There are several color pictures that demonstrate different types of exercises pregnant patients can do. To my knowledge, this book is one of a kind. It is of high quality and does an excellent job of comparing the literature that is available.” (Melissa Anne Novak, Doody's Book Reviews, May 17, 2019)

• Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Rio Maior, Portugal

  Rita Santos-Rocha

• Laboratory of Biomechanics and Functional Morphology, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo, Portugal

  Rita Santos-Rocha

Rita Santos Rocha is Associate Professor at the Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior (ESDRM) – Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (IPSantarém), Portugal, that she supervised as Director between 2011 and 2015. She is Coordinator of the Master Degree in Physical Activity in Special Populations and Professor of the Bachelor Degree in Sport, Fitness & Health (ESDRM), in Exercise Testing and Prescription, and Public Health and Physical Activity. Researcher of the Neuromechanics of Human Movement Group of CIPER (Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance) – Faculty of Human Kinetics (FMH) – University of Lisbon. Deputy Director of the Research Unit of IPSantarém, Professor Santos Rocha has being involved in several research projects funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and other National and European bodies. Her research interests are focused on gait biomechanics and the effects of exercise programs on pregnant women, and other populations. She was the leader of the EuropeActive’s Educational Standards for the Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Specialist published in 2016, which refers to European Qualification Framework. Professor Santos Rocha holds a seat on the Scientific Board of the Gymnastics Federation of Portugal, and has being collaborating with the Professional Standards Committee of EuropeActive (former European Health & Fitness Association) since 2010.