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In 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 postpartum
• Why “movement snacks” and small bouts of activity actually matter
• Starting where you are (and why that’s not settling)
• Common barriers that stop new moms from moving—and how to lower them
• Why non-linear progress is normal, not a failure
• Translating research into real-world clinical and everyday practice

If 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 Stamps

1:00 Introduction

4:56 cardio-respiratory fitness in pregnancy & postpartum

9:15 starting exercise during pregnancy

16:50 nuance around what postpartum can look like

20:00 general guidelines rooted in evidence

24:50 return to activity graphic

30:13 return to sport guidelines in postpartum

35:00 FAIR consensus

42:10 navigating the research as a clinician

54:17 rapid fire questions

CONNECT WITH CARRIE

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/

Website: https://carriepagliano.com

CONNECT WITH JENNA:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.rungry.researcher/

Email: jenna.schulz@ubc.ca

The 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.

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