- Date and Time
- 8th April 2021, 19:30 - 21:00
- Booking
- The event has passed
Speakers’ talks are available to view at the following times:
Dr Hayley Mills – Guidance and overview on the current physical activity recommendations during and after pregnancy (view at 3 mins 26 secs)
Dr Lou Atkinson – The psychosocial influences on maternal physical activity (view at 22 mins 07 secs)
Dr Amal Hassan – Modify, don’t stop: an update on the relative and absolute contraindications to exercise in pregnancy (view at 45 mins 15 secs)
Rhian Stephenson – Lived experience providing a personal perspective on physical activity and maternal health (view at 1 hr 8 mins 52 secs)
This seminar was the first in an online series of four seminars jointly hosted by the three NCSEM hubs and the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM).
The seminar, held in April 2021 gave an overview on the current physical activity recommendations during and after pregnancy. It also signposted to a comprehensive range of resources, programmes and initiatives that support physical activity behaviour in this context.
The online session featured four speakers each bringing a unique insight to physical activity and maternal health, full details of the programme are below.
| Guidance and overview on the current physical activity recommendations during and after pregnancy |
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| This session will also signpost to a comprehensive range of resources, programmes and initiatives that support physical activity behaviour in this context. |
Dr Hayley Mills is a Reader is Exercise Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University where she is Director of the Perinatal Physical Activity Research Group and is also a chartered sport and exercise psychologist (HCPC registered).Hayley is currently a core member of the Chief Medical Officers (CMO) physical activity communications committee. She is also the director of the research working group: Supporting Pre-conception, Pregnant and Postnatal women to be Physically Active (SP4A), which is funded by the Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology (DSEP). Hayley holds a seat on the scientific advisory board of ukactive and is a trustee of the Active Pregnancy Foundation.Hayley has authored a range of academic publications such as empirical studies, review articles, editorial pieces, plus industry infographics and guidelines. She has also contributed to the development of wide range of medical, industry and educational resources. Hayley continues to contribute to several large-scale partnership projects that seek to understand and normalise physical activity behaviour during the conception, pregnancy and post-partum periods. |
| The psychosocial influences on maternal physical activity |
| This session will outline the evidence base for the social and individual factors which influence engagement with physical activity before and after pregnancy, and highlight how these may differ between women who are regular exercisers pre-pregnancy, and those who are not.
Additionally, this session will identify how the coronavirus pandemic may have created new opportunities to both promote and facilitate access to physical activity for pregnant and post-natal women. |
Dr Lou Atkinson is Lecturer in Psychology at Aston University, Lead Master Trainer for Core Health & Fitness LLC, and certified Pre- and Post-natal exercise instructor. Lou has been conducting applied research into the determinants of maternal health behaviours since 2008, and has worked with multiple public health, healthcare & non-profit organisations to develop and evaluate multicomponent interventions to support physical activity during and after pregnancy.Lou is a scientific advisor for two maternal health charities, and technical advisor for EuropeActive. Lou’s publications in the field of maternal physical activity include qualitative studies, reviews, process evaluations, commentaries and book chapters. Lou has also developed and delivered a variety of education on pre- and post-natal exercise for fitness professionals and is regularly invited to present at international and national fitness events. |
| Modify, don’t stop: an update on the relative and absolute contraindications to exercise in pregnancy |
| The evidence in support of a physically active pregnancy has moved from demonstrating the benefits, to challenging the notion that certain pregnancy-related conditions require a cautionary approach to movement. With physical activity (PA) occurring on a spectrum of intensities and types, there is likely to be some form of activity that every pregnant individual will benefit from.
This session presents recently published evidence that challenges both the traditional categories of relative and absolute contraindications to exercise in pregnancy and the practice of bed-rest, whilst making a call for action to further investigate the benefits of physical activity interventions in higher-risk pregnancies. |
Dr Amal Hassan is an ST6 Registrar in Sport & Exercise Medicine at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust and Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow at University College London across the post-graduate and undergraduate Sport & Exercise Medicine programmes, part of the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health.Amal has a specialist interest in Women’s Health applied to Sport & Exercise; is a member of the scientific advisory board for the Active Pregnancy Foundation and is co-founder and director of the pelvic health digital education platform Umi Health. |
| Someone with lived experience will provide a personal perspective on physical activity and maternal health |
Other seminars in this series:
- Physical activity and cancer prehabilitation: innovation in digital delivery – 15 April 2021
- Physical activity and serious mental health – 22 April 2021
- COVID-19 Recovery: the role of physical activity – 29 April 2021
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