The Association of Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Postpartum Weight Retention: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors' conclusion
Individuals with high physical activity from preconception through pregnancy have less weight retention at 360 days post partum than women with lower physical activity.
Study context
- Population
- Pregnancies from one health care system, 2009–2020; physical activity self-reported before pregnancy and during each trimester; 54.7% Hispanic, 24.8% White, 10.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, 9.0% Black, 1.3% other
- Participants
- 58,828 pregnancies
- Exposure
- High vs medium and low physical activity trajectories through pregnancy
- Outcome
- Percentage of postpartum weight retention: postpartum BMI as a percentage of prepregnancy BMI (all measures 21 through 365 days)
- Follow-up
- First year after pregnancy
Methodological detailsdiscrete trajectory analysis, mixed effects regression models
- Discrete trajectory analysis
- Mixed effects regression models
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Achieving prepregnancy BMI
Odds ratio (95% CI)
Highvs Low
1.314(1.172–1.472)
Highvs Medium
1.285(1.149–1.436)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
BMI after delivery as % of prepregnancy BMI (all participants)
- Mean BMI after delivery, % of prepregnancy BMI
- 105.2% ± 8.9%
Original publication
The Association of Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Postpartum Weight Retention: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Obesity (Silver Spring). Published 12 November 2025. doi:10.
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