Benefits

Pregnant mothers who are exposed to physical activity are more likely to get fit and bounce back
into shape after delivery. But it's more than just having our pre-baby figure again — staying fit
plays an essential role in preventing or keeping postpartum blues and anxieties at bay. Some of
the benefits pregnant mothers would gain are prevention of depression and weight gain, lower
chances of C-section delivery, pre-eclampsia, and hypertension, and lower frequency of
incontinence, blood sugar levels and risk of gestational diabetes. Physical activity would benefit
the unborn baby too as this could lower the risk of the baby developing heart and respiratory
problems. It can also help prevent the baby from becoming too big inside the womb, which could
cause complications. (Perez, R. 2018)

According to Shatzman, C.,

There was a study, which was published in the August issue of the journal, Medicine & Science in Sports
& Exercise, found that 1-month-olds born to moms who were engaged to regular physical activities
during pregnancy had stronger movement skills than babies whose mothers didn’t get moving. They
measured head turning and similar movements as part of the test, according to researcher Linda May,
an associate professor at East Carolina University, in Greenville, N.C. She explained that infants who
develop early motor skills become more active kids. (Shatzman, C., 2019)

Researchers randomly assigned 71 healthy pregnant women to two groups: Those who had supervised
aerobic workouts and a control group. The women in the first group exercised three days a week for
about an hour and could pick between doing aerobics or using a treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical.
Meanwhile, those in the control group could only do light-intensity exercise as well as stretching and
breathing moves. When the researchers assessed the 1-month-old babies, they discovered that the
infants of the exercising moms performed better when a physical therapist tested their motor skills,
though all of the babies were in the normal development range. (Shatzman, C., 2019)

The researchers couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of why exercising helped the babies, but they believe
it could be that exercise triggers fetal brain development by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the
womb. Also, it could help growth and development when growth factors are released. (Shatzman, C.,
2019)

These physical activities are truly beneficial to the health of the mother and the baby. But in every
physical activity a pregnant mother is engaged in, they must learn how to rest and to never push
themselves to the maximum.
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