Day 360- Exercising During Pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy is still such a controversial topic, especially if you never really exercised in the first place, and since there have not been very many studies on the results of exercise on the fetus, women have a right to be skeptical. Mothers worry that their elevated heart rate can be passed on to their fetus, which could result in diminish blood flow and oxygen.

A study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology studied 45 women between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. The women walked or jogged on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity, which was defined by the researchers as 40 - 59% of their maximum heart rate. Of these 45 women, 15 where not use to regular exercise. The remaining 30 women either did around 20 minutes of exercise 3 or more days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running, more than 4 days a week. The women that were use to regular exercise were asked to workout for an additional 30 minutes doing high intensity exercise on the treadmill. High intensity exercise was defined as 60-84% of their maximum heart rate.

Researchers would measure the fetus's heart rate and the blood flow to the fetus before and after each exercise session using a Doppler ultrasound. A biophysical profile was conducted as well using an ultrasound to determine that the baby was moving as it should.

The researchers found that the fetal heart rate rose after the medium and high intensity workouts, but that the heart rate, blood flow, and biophysical profile stayed in the normal range. Reassuring mothers that exercise did not harm the fetus.

"The findings are in line with the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that healthy pregnant women get at least two and a half hours of medium-intensity aerobic exercise a week even if they did not exercise before becoming pregnant. Exercise improves heart health and may reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as developing high blood pressure and diabetes."

Although the study was small, all babies in the study were born perfectly healthy. If nothing else, this study was a step in the right direction of showing women that exercise is healthy during pregnancy, and that they should be encouraged to workout on a regular basis.

I have also come across a great blog about female fitness and nutrition. Cassandra Forsythe has a PhD in exercise science and a MS in nutrition and metabolism. She has an ongoing blog series called Fit Pregnancy, where she interviews fit mommies on their exercise routines during pregnancy and their babies birth results after pregnancy. It is a fantastic, inspiring blog that encourages women that exercise is healthy for the mom and baby.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP