# Perinatal Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

## TL;DR

This review explores how perinatal exercise can reduce cardiovascular disease risk by addressing traditional and nontraditional risk factors during pregnancy and beyond.

## Contribution

The paper highlights gaps in evidence for subgroup-specific exercise recommendations and emerging associations with pregnancy-specific CVD risk factors.

## Key findings

- Perinatal exercise is recommended to combat traditional CVD risk factors like gestational weight gain and high blood pressure.
- Emerging data suggest perinatal exercise may improve nontraditional risk factors such as sleep and depression.
- More research is needed on pregnancy-specific factors like placental characteristics and long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

## Abstract

The purpose of this narrative review was to summarize perinatal exercise guidelines and associations of perinatal physical activity and/or exercise with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Observational studies, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were included. Gaps in literature and suggestions for future studies were identified. Despite concordant international guidelines, data to support nuanced activity advice for some subgroups are limited. Perinatal physical activity and exercise are consistently recommended to combat traditional CVD risk factors during the perinatal period, like excessive gestational weight gain, high blood pressure, and high blood glucose. Physical activity and exercise appear to improve nontraditional risk factors such as poor sleep and depression. Data are emerging regarding associations with some pregnancy-specific factors, such as placental characteristics. Further research investigating associations with pregnancy-specific CVD risk factors and associations in the longer term, as well as data to support uptake, adherence, and resistance exercise prescription is warranted.

•Perinatal exercise guidelines address programming, safety issues, and some pregnancy-related anatomical or physiological changes.•Perinatal exercise can improve most traditional and some nontraditional cardiovascular disease risk factor determinants.•Independent and joint associations of perinatal exercise with pregnancy/perinatal-specific factors like placentation and lactation should be investigated.•Identifying optimal timing and dosing exercise strategies is important for improving perinatal and longer-term cardiovascular disease health.

Perinatal exercise guidelines address programming, safety issues, and some pregnancy-related anatomical or physiological changes.

Perinatal exercise can improve most traditional and some nontraditional cardiovascular disease risk factor determinants.

Independent and joint associations of perinatal exercise with pregnancy/perinatal-specific factors like placentation and lactation should be investigated.

Identifying optimal timing and dosing exercise strategies is important for improving perinatal and longer-term cardiovascular disease health.