The morning sickness, exhaustion, hormones, and rapidly changing body during pregnancy make movement and regular exercise difficult. However, research shows that women who exercise during pregnancy have a whole host of benefits.
Can Exercise Cause Preterm Labor?
Historically, women were discouraged from vigorous exercise during pregnancy because of the risk of preterm birth. The thinking was that exercise releases norepinephrine in the body, which is a chemical that can stimulate contractions of the uterus, and thus lead to preterm birth. But numerous studies including a new meta-analysis, have since shown that exercise does not harm the baby, and can have benefits for the mom and baby.
Our research collected and re-examined clinical trial data on exercise during pregnancy and whether it plays a role in preterm birth and found that exercise is safe and does not increase the risk of preterm birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks. There were, however, a few benefits.
Exercise and Natural Delivery
Women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to deliver vaginally than those who do not. Seventy-three percent of exercising women delivered vaginally whereas 67 percent of non-exercising women delivered vaginally. Likewise, there was a lower incidence of C-section in women who exercised during pregnancy – 17 percent of exercising women had a C-section versus 22 percent in those who did not.
Adding an exercise routine and taking a probiotic can help support the immunity system of the mom-to-be. There was also lower incidence of gestational diabetes, and lower rates of high blood pressure in the exercising group.
A Few Tips for Exercising During Pregnancy
- You will be the most successful if you start early in your pregnancy. The more your body changes and the more weight you put on as the pregnancy progresses will only make working out more challenging and bring more risk of injury.
- Get advice from a health professional. As your body changes, you may need professional support for the best ways to continue exercising while so many shifts occur in stabilizing muscle groups.
- Focus on your pelvic floor and stabilizing muscles. This will help prevent common issues, like incontinence and back pain. It will also help with recovery following delivery.
- Start small, especially if you did not exercise consistently prior to pregnancy. Studies show that exercise during pregnancy, even in overweight and obese mothers, reduces the risk of obesity in their children.
- Avoid exercises with risk of falling and contact sports. Take a break from exercises like downhill skiing, judo, and basketball. Falling or getting jabbed in the stomach could harm your baby.
- Don’t overdo it. Especially if you were not physically active before your pregnancy, you need to be able to carry on a conversation while exercising. Any breathlessness is a sign that the exercise is too strenuous.
The results of this analysis support current guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which sets the recommendations for our field. However, there are many reasons women pull back on exercise during pregnancy – discomfort, an increase in tiredness and feeling winded by low level exertion. This research reinforces that exercise is good for the mom and the baby and does not hold any increased risk preterm birth.
One Comment on “The Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy”