Pelvic-joint and muscle mobility exercises in preparing for childbirth: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the use of pelvic-floor muscle and joint mobility exercises in prenatal care, as well as their impact on labor and delivery. METHOD: This is a scoping review conducted in the following databases: PubMed and PubMed Central, BVS/Bireme, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, and the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global repository in January 2025. Original articles, literature reviews, care protocols, and expert opinions were included. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were used. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included, of which 13 focused on pelvic floor muscle training exercises and 15 on pelvic joint mobility exercises, covering resistance and strength, aerobic, aquatic and flexibility modalities. The findings were inconsistent across studies, but they suggested benefits such as a higher rate of vaginal births, bladder incontinence prevention, pelvic floor strengthening, and reduced labor duration. CONCLUSION: Pelvic joint and muscle mobility exercises are safe methods that can help during pregnancy and childbirth. However, the significance of conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in accordance with the exercise modality is underscored.