Updated UK Physical Activity Guidelines for Pregnancy and After Childbirth: The Conversation Starts Here

This June, the UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) published updated physical activity guidelines, including those for pregnant women and for women after childbirth: birth to 12months.

About the Guidelines

The Guidelines are the UK's authoritative recommendations on physical activity and health. Informed by the latest scientific evidence, they set out how much and what types of movement are associated with better health across different stages of life. They are intended to provide a consistent, evidence-based framework for professionals supporting people to be active.

The Update

If you've already seen the updated infographics, you may be wondering what's changed.

The answer is reassuringly simple: not very much. Rather than introducing new recommendations, the updated guidance reinforces what the evidence has consistently shown for many years. Being physically active during pregnancy and after childbirth remains one of the most effective ways to support physical health, mental wellbeing and long-term health outcomes for both mother and baby.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but The APF welcome the refreshed guidance and the renewed focus it brings to helping women stay active through their childbearing years, but we'd also like reiterate that the infographics are not the intervention, they're the start of a conversation.

Every woman's journey is different

No two pregnancies are the same, no two births are the same and no two women begin from the same starting point.

Some women are already active and simply need reassurance about how to adapt their activity safely, others may never have considered themselves "someone who exercises" and so need support. For most it's getting the message out that physical activity can begin with something as simple as walking, stretching or building movement into everyday life.

Many women are balancing work, family, changing bodies, fatigue, recovery, confidence and competing priorities and that's why these guidelines should never be viewed as a standalone resource for women. Their real value comes when they are used by healthcare professionals, fitness professionals and those working across communities to start meaningful, personalised conversations.

The guidance provides the evidence, but it's the conversation that turns that evidence into action.

Meeting Women Where They Are

One of our core principles is simple: we have to meet women where they are. For us that means understanding each woman's experiences, goals, confidence, health, lifestyle and any barriers she may face before offering advice. For one woman, staying active may mean continuing to swim, cycle or run throughout pregnancy with appropriate support. For another, it may mean finding the confidence to take a short walk after a difficult birth or learning gentle pelvic floor exercises as part of her recovery. We shouldn't forget the restorative mental health benefits especially for those women who may be undergoing fertility treatments, have experienced miscarriage or baby loss.

Physical activity isn't about achieving perfection or ticking off a target on an infographic, it's about helping women find movement that feels safe, achievable and enjoyable, whatever their starting point.

A helpful first step is completing the Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy (GAQ-P). Designed to overcome uncertainty and empower women, it helps them reflect on their health and understand the right next step for them. For most women, that means feeling reassured and confident to begin or continue being active. Where a conversation with a healthcare professional would be helpful, the questionnaire provides a clear starting point. Above all, it supports women to make informed choices about physical activity that are right for them.

Turning Guidance into Action

The updated CMO guidance is an important reminder of what good support looks like. It's not leaflets to hand out, but resources and tools to open conversations, build confidence and provide personalised advice that reflects every woman's unique circumstances. When women receive support that is compassionate, evidence-based and tailored to their needs, they're much more likely to experience the lifelong benefits that movement can bring.

Supporting professionals to have better conversations

If you support women during pregnancy or after childbirth, confidence matters just as much as knowledge. Our This Mum Moves training is recognised in the CMO Physical Activity Guidelines Communication Framework and equips healthcare, fitness, and allied professionals with the latest evidence, practical skills and communication techniques to have supportive, personalised conversations about physical activity, helping women feel informed, empowered and confident to move in ways that work for them.

“The training has enabled me to signpost perinatal women to Sport in Mind classes locally, and have more confidence to discuss physical movement during pregnancy, as well as using the knowledge to encourage physical movement to be a focus in discussion in my wider team”

This Mum Moves Ambassador

Our next open This Mum Moves course is on 24th September.

If you need more information head HERE.