Health Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy

• comments
• 
• 

There are many conflicting ideas about exercise during pregnancy that confuses women. Now, researchers shared their common view of benefit for both the mother and developing fetus from working out.

"Within reason, with adequate cautions, it's important for everyone to get over this fear," Alejandro Lucia, a professor of exercise physiology at the European University of Madrid said. He was also the viewpoint's author that was published on Tuesday, March 21 in the journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) updated its recommendation in 2015. It suggested that pregnant women with no serious medical or obstetric problems should undergo at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. This is sufficient to let them move while still capable of carrying on a conversation. They will practice this on most days of the week.

It was long believed that working out is not good during pregnancy. Nevertheless, an evidence suggested that conceiving a child was actually the right timing to add physical activity. It can contribute health benefits and openness to a positive outlook in life.

Physical activity can hinder extreme weight gain, which can lead to obesity says the author of a 2015 study published by the Cochrane Library. It discovered that exercise during pregnancy might also decrease maternal hypertension and an oversize baby. As a common benefit, exercise improves the general cardiovascular and muscular health.

The researchers recommended that women with chronic high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, overweight or obese should maintain a regular exercise. However, according to the ACOG's guidelines, women with health problems should avoid aerobic exercise. These include heart disease, persistent bleeding in the second or third trimester, excessive anemia and risk of premature labor. Pregnant women should be given an emergency medical assistance when they experience contractions or feel dizzy during exercise.

Ultimately, pregnant women are required to make an exercise plan with their physician. Their workout history, health, and the risk of pregnancy complications must be considered, James Pivarnik, a professor of kinesiology and epidemiology at Michigan State University said.