Exercise May Cut Pregnancy-Related Risks

Exercise May Cut Pregnancy-Related Risks

A new study suggests that your overweight members who are pregnant may benefit from a moderate exercise program. In the past, women who were overweight, had borderline high blood pressure or were otherwise at risk of developing the dangerous pregnancy-related condition known as pre-eclampsia, were advised by their doctors to limit their physical activity. Now preliminary study findings suggest that exercise during pregnancy may actually lower a woman's risk of developing the condition.

Pre-eclampsia is characterized by skyrocketing blood pressure and increased amounts of protein in the urine. Usually occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy, it requires urgent medical attention and is a leading cause of death among pregnant women.

For the study, presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine meeting in New Orleans, La., 201 women with pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, and 383 pregnant women with normal blood pressure levels were interviewed. The women were asked questions about the type, intensity, frequency and duration of exercise they participated in during their first five months of pregnancy, and about their walking and stair climbing activities.

Overall, women who reported engaging in regular physical activity were 35 percent less likely to have pregnancy-induced high blood pressure than their less-active peers, and those who participated in light to moderate activities were 24 percent less likely to have pregnancy-induced high blood pressure than their inactive peers. "The greatest reduction in risk of pre-eclampsia occurred in women who participated in jogging, running, lap swimming and aerobic exercise," says the study's lead author. "There was also a significant decrease in women who regularly swam or cycled."

In addition, women who said they walked at a brisk pace of three or more miles per hour, regardless of the distance, had a 33 percent to 41 percent reduced risk of the condition in comparison to those who did not walk at all. Risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension also decreased with the increasing number of stairs climbed per day. For example, those who reported climbing one to four flights of stairs daily had a 47 percent decreased risk of high blood pressure, while those who said they climbed 10 or more flights per day had a 57 percent reduced risk. What's more, women who reported engaging in physical activity the year before they became pregnant were also at a decreased risk of pre-eclampsia, the researchers found.

"Women, especially [those] at risk for pre-eclampsia, should exercise regularly before becoming pregnant, and during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy," say study authors. However, once pre-eclampsia has developed, "rest is still indicated," they caution.