Community exercise program for pregnant women with obesity who are not active
Tests a community exercise program in inactive pregnant women with obesity.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute
- Where
- Little Rock, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Community Expecting: Exercise During Pregnancy
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 228 people, planned
- Started
- 30 May 2025
- Expected to end
- 1 Jul 2031
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Community Expecting
- Record updated
- 15 January 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for pregnant women with obesity who are not active enough. It tests a community exercise program during pregnancy.
- Age
- 18 years or older
- Sex
- Women only
- Disease stage
- Pregnant, between 11 and 16 weeks. BMI of 30 or higher.
- Earlier treatment
- Not currently meeting the guideline of 150 min of moderate physical activity per week.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Non-English speaking
- Conditions that make exercise unsafe, such as preeclampsia-eclampsia, premature rupture of the membranes, antepartum hemorrhage, placenta previa or multiple gestation
- Using recreational drugs, tobacco or alcohol during pregnancy
- Less than 11 weeks or more than 16 weeks of pregnancy
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 8 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- 18 years of age or older
- Having a BMI ≥ 30
- Not currently meeting guidelines for 150 min of moderate physical activity per week
- All children born to mother participants will be included and eligible
Who cannot take part
- Using recreational drugs, tobacco, or alcohol during their pregnancy
- Contraindications for exercise (preeclampsia-eclampsia, premature rupture of the membranes, antepartum hemorrhage, placenta previa, or multiple gestation),) as determined by the investigators to affect the outcomes of interest
- Non-English speaking individuals
- < 11 or > 16 weeks gestation
Where in United States
- Arkansas Children's Research InstituteLittle Rock, United StatesContact: Taren SwindleTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Regular physical activity during pregnancy is safe and offers many health benefits for both mothers and their babies. Research over the past decade shows that exercise can help pregnant women gain a healthy amount of weight, lower their risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, and reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of postpartum depression. Babies also benefit when their mothers are active, with lower risks of preterm birth, unhealthy birth size, and childhood obesity.
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Despite this strong evidence, very few exercise programs for pregnant women have been tested in real-world community settings, such as fitness centers, community health programs, or local organizations. Even fewer studies explain how these programs were delivered or what helped them succeed. Without this information, it is difficult for communities and health programs to offer exercise support that is both effective and practical for pregnant women.
To address this gap, the research team adapted an evidence-based program called EXPECTING so it could be delivered by community organizations. Previous participants and community advisors helped to understand what changes were needed to make the program easier to offer while still keeping it safe and effective. The core parts of the program, including the type, amount, and intensity of aerobic and strength-building exercises, remained the same and are based on established pregnancy exercise guidelines.
The adapted program, called COMMUNITY EXPECTING, includes both aerobic exercise and resistance training. The research team also developed specific supports to help community instructors deliver the program consistently and with confidence. All program components have already been tested in community settings and shown to be realistic, acceptable, and delivered as planned.
This study will examine whether offering a structured exercise program in community settings helps pregnant women be more physically active than usual prenatal care alone. We will also assess whether the program can be delivered successfully and in a way that works for both participants and community providers. The results will help determine whether COMMUNITY EXPECTING is a practical approach for supporting healthy pregnancies in real-world settings.
The 2 groups in the trial
- ExerciseTreatment being tested
In the intervention group, women exercise in small groups with a certified personal trainer who has passed a certification process related to the research and exercise protocol. Specifically, women in the intervention are asked to work out three times per week, progressing to 45 minutes each session within the first 6 weeks. Participant workouts are focused primarily on body weight exercises although participants also receive resistance bands for use in the workouts. Participants can choose to watch a recorded workout rather than attend a live session for 1 of their 3 workouts for the week.
Treatment: Community Expecting
- ControlNo study treatment, for comparison
Women receive standard care and encouraged to follow doctor's recommendations for physical activity
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Community Expecting: Exercise During Pregnancy for Sedentary Women With Obesity
- Plain-language title
- Community exercise program for pregnant women with obesity who are not activeGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 15 January 2026