Returning to Exercise After Baby: What Postpartum Research Actually Supports — with DR. JENNA SCHULZ

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I’m joined by Jenna Schulz, MPT, PhD, a physiotherapist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia whose work lives right at the intersection of research and real life. Jenna studies things like inflammation in knee osteoarthritis, female athlete health, and longevity in sport—and more recently, how evidence can actually guide movement during pregnancy and postpartum (not just live in a paper somewhere).Jenna is also a former varsity cross-country and track athlete, which makes this conversation especially grounded. We talk honestly about what returning to movement after baby really looks like, why progress is almost never linear, and how so many moms end up stuck because of unnecessary rules, expectations, or “shoulds.”This is a practical, evidence-informed conversation for both clinicians and moms—focused on removing barriers, using research wisely, and starting where you are right now, not where you think you should be.We talk about:How to think about prescribing exercise during pregnancy and postpartumWhy “movement snacks” and small bouts of activity actually matterStarting where you are (and why that’s not settling)Common barriers that stop new moms from moving—and how to lower themWhy non-linear progress is normal, not a failureTranslating research into real-world clinical and everyday practiceIf you’re a mom trying to get back into movement—or a clinician supporting women through pregnancy and postpartum—this episode will help you rethink what progress really means and how to make movement feel more doable again.Time Stamps1:00 Introduction4:56 cardio-respiratory fitness in pregnancy & postpartum9:15 starting exercise during pregnancy16:50 nuance around what postpartum can look like20:00 general guidelines rooted in evidence24:50 return to activity graphic30:13 return to sport guidelines in postpartum35:00 FAIR consensus42:10 navigating the research as a clinician54:17 rapid fire questionsCONNECT WITH CARRIEIG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/Website: https://carriepagliano.comCONNECT WITH JENNA:Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/the.rungry.researcher/Email: [email protected] Active Mom Podcast is A Real Moms' Guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond for active moms & the professionals who help them in their journey.  This show has been a long time in the making!   You can expect conversation with moms and professionals from all aspects of the industry.   If you're like me, you don't have a lot of free time (heck, you're probably listening at 1.5x speed), so theses interviews will be quick hits to get your the pertinent information FAST!  If you love what you hear, share the podcast with a friend and leave us a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review. It helps us become more visible in the search algorithm! (Helps us get seen by more moms that need to hear these stories!!!!)