Pregnancy exercises: Benefits, facts and stats

Summary

The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are well documented. Numerous studies demonstrate a positive effect on both an expectant mum’s health and her baby’s health – to the extent that women are now being encouraged to get Active for 2. Pregnancy exercise does much more than improve a mother’s well-being – it can aid the development of your baby’s heart and brain too. If you’re struggling to find motivation, these facts about the benefits of pregnancy exercise may help get you started.

Why exercise in pregnancy?

For mum

The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are becoming increasingly evident. Pregnancy exercise can improve an expectant mum’s experience of pregnancy in many ways. Studies show that exercising mothers:

Experience less lower back pain¹, pregnancy constipation⁸ and tiredness⁹
Are 30% less likely to develop gestational diabetes²
Are less likely to need an unplanned caesarean^3,4
Experience fewer incidences⁵ and reduced severity⁶ of depression
Gain less weight during pregnancy⁴
Are less likely to develop urinary incontinence⁷
Have reduced incidents of pregnancy constipation⁸
Less pregnancy tiredness⁹
May have shorter labour¹

For baby

The benefits for your baby could last them a lifetime. Babies born to mothers who exercise in pregnancy are more likely to:

Develop a healthier heart with a lower resting heart rate after birth¹¹
Be born at what is considered a ‘normal’ birth weight, rather than overweight¹²
Be born with more mature brains and are quicker to develop neurologically¹³
Experience a reduced risk of respiratory distress at birth (if born to high-risk mothers)¹⁴
Less maternal stress could reduce impact on immune system development¹⁵

If you’re feeling motivated to get Active for 2, read more about how to exercise safely during pregnancy and which exercises to avoid. Just be sure to speak to your doctor or midwife before you begin.

View references

1. Pennick V, Liddle SD. Interventions for preventing and treating pelvic and back pain in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013(CD0011):1-100.

2. Sanabria‐Martínez G et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on preventing gestational diabetes mellitus and excessive maternal weight gain: a meta‐analysis. BJOG 2015;122(9):1167-74.

3. Price BB et al. Exercise in pregnancy: effect on fitness and obstetric outcomes-a randomized trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2012;44(12):2263-9.

4. Domenjoz I et al. Effect of physical activity during pregnancy on mode of delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2014;211(4):401.e1-e11.

5. Gaston A, Prapavessis H. Tired, moody and pregnant? Exercise may be the answer. Psychol Health 2013;28(12):1353-69.

6. Robledo-Colonia AF et al. Aerobic exercise training during pregnancy reduces depressive symptoms in nulliparous women: a randomised trial. J Physiother 2012;58(1):9-15.

7. Perales M et al. Benefits of aerobic or resistance training during pregnancy on maternal health and perinatal outcomes: A systematic review. Early Hum Dev 2016;94:43-8..

8. Shi W et al. Epidemiology and risk factors of functional constipation in pregnant women. PloS one 2015;10(7):e0133521

9. Gaston A, Prapavessis H. Tired, moody and pregnant? Exercise may be the answer. Psychol Health 2013;28(12):1353-69.

10. Barakata et al. Exercise during pregnancy is associated with a shorter duration of labor. A randomized clinical trial 2018, 224 33-40

11. May LE et al. Aerobic exercise during pregnancy influences fetal cardiac autonomic control of heart rate and heart rate variability. Early Hum Dev 2010;86(4):213-7.

12. Bisson M et al. Physical activity volumes during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies assessing the association with infant's birth weight. AJP Reports 2016;6(02):e170-e97.

13. Labonte-Lemoyne E et al. Exercise during pregnancy enhances cerebral maturation in the newborn: A randomized controlled trial. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2016:1-8.

14. Muktabhant B et al. Diet or exercise, or both, for preventing excessive weight gain in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015 Jun 15;(6):CD007145.

15. Marques AH, Bjorke-Monsen AL, Teixeira AL, Silverman MN. Maternal stress, nutrition and physical activity: impact on immune function, CNS development and psychopathology. Brain Research. 2015;1617:28–46.

Last reviewed: 8th August 2018

Pregnancy exercises: Benefits, facts and stats

Summary

Why exercise in pregnancy?

For mum

For baby

View references

Your baby's future health begins here

Your baby's future health begins here

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