Physicians should recommend low to moderate exercise for their pregnant patients, even if they have not exercised prior to pregnancy, says a report in the August issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

According to the study, e ercise such as aerobics, impact and nonimpact activities, resistance training and swimming:

  • eases back and other musculoskeletal pain;
  • lowers maternal blood pressure;
  • reduces swelling; and
  • improves post-partum mood, including sadness.

According to study author Capt. Marlene DeMaio, M.D., M.C., U.S.N., Research Director, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, data shows that the pregnant woman's body can compensate for the changes with no harm to the fetus during low to moderate intensity exercise.

“It is important to remember that pregnancy is a temporary condition, not a disease, and that the musculoskeletal and physiologic changes that happen are normal in the majority of patients,” she said.

Capt. DeMaio's findings contradict what some physicians recommended in the past. As recently as the 1990s, there was concern that exercise could be detrimental to a pregnant woman and her fetus. These past concerns included a focus on normal changes related to musculoskeletal health that occur during pregnancy, such as increased ligament laxity, weight gain and change in the center of gravity. Today, some physicians continue to advise their pregnant patients to ease back on exercise or refrain from it altogether if they have not already made it a part of their lifestyle.

DeMaio, who collaborated with Capt. Everett Magann, M.D., M.C. U.S.N., Chairman in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, also at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, not only reports that exercise is important during pregnancy, but also believes that starting an exercise program when pregnant, is a perfect way to begin – and stick with – a fitness program.

“When a woman becomes pregnant, she often re-evaluates her lifestyle,” said Dr. DeMaio. “She is motivated in a new way to deliver a healthy baby, and be healthy herself.”