X-AAP for pregnant women

Medical assessment of fitness for physical activity

The X-AAP for pregnant women is a guide used to determine a woman's suitability to participate in a prenatal fitness class or any other exercise program.

Healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies can incorporate physical activity into their daily lives and participate in an exercise program that poses no significant risk to themselves or their unborn child. The expected benefits of such programs include improved aerobic and muscular fitness, appropriate weight gain, and an easier delivery. Regular physical activity can also help prevent pregnancy-related glucose intolerance and hypertension.

A prenatal exercise program is considered safe if the mother-fetus physiological reserve is sufficient. The X-AAP for pregnant women is a checklist and prescription guide used by healthcare professionals to assess pregnant women who wish to undertake a prenatal fitness program and to ensure ongoing medical supervision of pregnant patients who exercise.

Here are the instructions for using X-AAP for pregnant women (4 pages):

1 The patient must complete the "Patient Information" section and answer the questions in the "Pre-Exercise Checklist" (parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 on page 1), and then give the form to the health professional who is monitoring her pregnancy.

2 The health professional must ensure that the information provided by the patient is accurate, then complete section C entitled "Contraindications to exercise" (page 2), in light of the current medical information.

3. If there are no contraindications to exercise, the "Health Status Assessment" section (page 3) must be completed and signed by the healthcare professional. The patient must then give the form to her prenatal fitness professional.

In addition to close medical monitoring, it is recommended to engage in appropriate types, intensity, and duration of exercise to increase the likelihood of a favorable pregnancy outcome. The X-AAP for pregnant women provides recommendations for personalized exercise prescriptions (page 3) and the implementation of safe exercise programs (page 4).