Episode
Evidence-Based Exercise in Pregnancy and Postpartum | Dr Margie Davenport
- Podcast
- The Proof with Simon Hill
- Published
- Jun 15, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5587
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Summary
In this episode, exercise physiologist Dr Margie Davenport walks me through what the evidence actually shows about exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Margie chaired the 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy, the 2025 Canadian postpartum guideline, and the upcoming International Olympic Committee consensus statement on athletes through pregnancy and postpartum. We cover where the 140 bpm rule came from, the scale of the benefits at the population level, what direct fetal monitoring during HIIT and heavy lifting really shows, the new postpartum data, and why so many of the historical prohibitions do not survive contact with the data. What we cover: Where the 1985 "stay below 140 bpm" rule came from, and why it has long outlived its evidence Around 40 percent fewer cases of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, and around 67 percent fewer cases of depression during pregnancy HIIT, heavy resistance training, and what fetal monitoring shows The 51 percent reduction in complications among women who kept lifting heavy Postpartum: the six-week myth, breastfeeding and injury risk, and a 45 percent reduction in postpartum depression The short list of actual "don'ts": scuba diving, and a few situational cautions The paradigm shift from prohibition to shared decision-making If this episode is useful, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share it with someone in your life who is trying to make sense of conflicting advice. To connect with Dr Margie Davenport, visit exerciseandpregnancy.ca, follow her on Instagram at @DrMargieDavenport, or find her on LinkedIn and YouTube. Intro (00:00) Why Pregnancy Exercise Advice Feels So Confusing (01:15) The Most Damaging Myth About Exercise In Pregnancy (03:08) How Ex…