Your mother will most likely remember her physician telling her to avoid exercise and a range of physical activities during the delicate period of pregnancy. However, current published research in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons [http://www.jaaos.org/cgi/content/abstract/17/8/504] suggests moderate physical activity like swimming, resistance training and swimming while pregnant. Not only should exercise not be avoided during those months under normal circumstances, it can be beneficial:
“… the researchers conclude that exercise can ease back pain and other musculoskeletal pain, lower maternal blood pressure, reduce swelling and improve mood — one study of depressed pregnant women found that exercise helped decrease depression, and another study saw that exercise during pregnancy improves self-esteem.”
link: Study: Healthy Pregnant Women Should Exercise [ http://www.usnews.com/articles/science/medical-science/2009/08/05/study-healthy-pregnant-women-should-exercise.html ]
Additionally, the benefits of exercise during pregnancy can impact issues like postpartum depression. Continued research is necessary to fully determine the extent of such benefits. Longitudinal paradigms will be required to assess whether moderate exercise during pregnancy has significant positive health implications for early childhood development.
In some countries, the suggestion of physical activities during pregnancy is an accepted and necessary way of life. Physical activity is, in those cultures, considered essential for the everyday survival of the family.
Catherine Forsythe
