Exercise, sports participation, and musculoskeletal disorders of pregnancy and postpartum

The benefits of rigorous physical activity have long been proclaimed by the medical community. However, consensus regarding exercise duration and intensity in pregnancy has been more difficult to achieve. Conservative exercise guidelines for pregnant women were issued broadly in the 1980s due to limited evidence regarding safety. More recent evidence has failed to demonstrate ill effects of physical activity during pregnancy, as any effects on the mother and the fetus have thus far shown to be positive. The physical discomfort experienced by virtually all women during pregnancy, nearly 25% of whom experience at least temporarily disabling symptoms, is often a barrier to participation in an exercise program. An approach to developing an exercise program during pregnancy will be discussed in this article, as well as the potential benefits of such a program for the maternal-fetal unit, and common pregnancy-related musculoskeletal conditions, including a discussion of the anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, and treatment of such disorders.