Exercise during pregnancy reduces newborn obesity. Staying physically active during pregnancy not only benefits your own health but your baby’s too, says Reuters.
Beyond helping women gain less pregnancy weight, exercise during pregnancy can also have positive effects on mood and insulin sensitivity, and can help women maintain their pre-pregnancy strength and figure.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Munich compared more than 1,000 women, some of who were assigned to exercise programs during pregnancy, while some were not. The women who exercised, did an hour of aerobics or biking three times a week, from early on in their pregnancy to giving birth.
While the study on exercise during pregnancy did not concretely prove that every woman or each baby benefits, researchers found that the active group gained on average 1.3 less pounds than the sedentary group.
Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy, often give birth to heavier babies. Often times these babies begin life having a higher risk of becoming obese. Then complications of obesity, such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease, become adversaries for these young ones, according to U.S. News & World Report.