Exercise During Pregnancy: Is It Beneficial? What Kind of Exercises Work Best for Pregnant Women?

Pregnancy is a challenging journey. Pregnant women go through a lot of physiological changes in the 9 month period, including weight gain, hormonal fluctuations etc.

In some cases, women develop what is known as Gestational Hypertension (GH), a hypertension disorder occurring in about 10% of pregnant women.

According to the Times of Gynaecology (2022 Issue 69), Gestational Hypertension is linked to a number of health risks -

• Higher risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease later in life

• Possibility of maternal mortality (mother risks death)

• Inadequate fetal growth (baby doesn't grow properly)

• Preterm delivery (premature baby is born)

• Perinatal death (baby risks death during delivery)

The article also goes on to say that regular exercise can help reduce the risk of developing hypertensive disorders, among offering many health benefits. According to WHO guidelines, 150 minutes of cardio-based exercises can deliver benefits to pregnant women.

The evidence also states that women who exercise have a 30% lower risk of developing GH. Exercise also positively impacts fetus health as it results in less macrosomia, improving the cardiovascular health of the baby in later life.

Here's how exercise benefits pregnancy, in a nutshell:

• Improved Uterine-Placental Blood Flow - Increased Vascular Regeneration in mother

• More Robust Cardiovascular system - Less prone to heart failure from GH

• Antioxidant capacity of body is improved - Body becomes resistant to oxidants.

All these benefits are tied to decreased risk of Pre-eclampsia, a condition that can pose severe risk to the mother during and after pregnancy.

So, we have determined that Exercise is not only beneficial, but also necessary in order to have a healthy pregnancy.

Now that we have discussed the why, the next question that naturally follows is: What kind of exercises should pregnant women lean toward?

The journal article reports the results of a study done on the types of exercise and their effect on certain health parameters related to HDP (Hypertensive Diseases During Pregnancy).

To keep things simple, the three main exercise types that have proven most beneficial are: Yoga, Aerobic Exercise, and a mix of Strength, Aerobic and Flexibility Exercises.

Furthermore, the article says that 3 days per week, for average 50 minutes a day should be enough for getting the benefits of exercise.

At Suman Hospital, our experienced physiotherapist Dr Manmeet Kalsi provides regular sessions for gestating women, with specially customized exercises done in the safest and most beneficial way. Contact us at 98888-19171 or visit our Booking page to learn more about our exercise program.

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