Exercise During Pregnancy Benefits Mother and Baby

The researchers examined 160 healthy women between the ages of 25 and 35 who took part in the study, all of whom had sedentary habits and no risk of premature birth. Of this group of women, half followed an exercise regimen under the supervision of sports medicine experts.

The researchers used multiple variables to determine the health of the fetus in women, and they analyzed the effect of the training programs carried out during the second and third trimester of pregnancy on the weight and size of the fetus.

The authors also measured the pre-pregnancy body weight of the mother, the body size of the fetus, and whether diabetes was developed during gestation. In the group of women who did not partake in exercise, researchers found that the mother’s weight before becoming pregnant was positively associated with the weight of the newborn.

Head researcher, Jonathan Ruiz, explains, “Sedentary mothers of higher pre-gestational weight gave birth to heavier newborns. This relationship, however, was not observed in the group of women who exercised during pregnancy.” According to experts, babies born with excessive weight are more at risk of developing diabetes and certain types of cancer as adults, in addition to other complications that may occur at birth.