Exercise is one of the most recommended activities for women during pregnancy (as long as it has the approval of the doctor), as it provides many benefits for her and for the baby . Ideally, it should be practiced regularly and constantly to obtain all its benefits.
However, according to a recent study carried out in Spain, confinement considerably reduced physical activity in pregnant women , something that can have negative consequences on their health.
The study
Published in the scientific journal Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , the study carried out by researchers from CEU Cardenal Herrera University of Valencia and the Italian University of Catania, aimed to analyze the impact of confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic on food, exercise and quality of life habits of pregnant women .
According to the results, due to confinement, pregnant women reduced their physical activities by 30%, that is, from 94 minutes per week to 68 minutes. While the time spent walking or walking was reduced from 98 to 38 minutes per week on average, that is, up to 60% less .
The main reasons, of course, were exit restrictions and the closure of gyms due to the pandemic, as this severely limited the mobility of pregnant women to go for a walk or attend prenatal exercise classes.
Similarly, the confinement meant that many could not continue with their childbirth preparation classes, as 52% stopped attending because they were canceled and only 24% were able to continue them virtually .
The importance of exercise in pregnancy
In addition to helping to avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy, exercise at this stage is extremely important for the health of both mother and baby. Several studies have found that doing it helps not only to prevent complications, but to improve and favor other aspects .
These are some of the positive effects of exercise in pregnancy:
- Reduces your chances of suffering from pregnancy-related illnesses, such as depression, by 25%.
- It would help reduce the possibility of developing a pregnancy complication by up to 40%, such as pre-eclampsia, hypertension or gestational diabetes.
- It improves placental function and reduces the risk of babies being born with too much weight, in the case of mothers who are obese or overweight.
- Increases the quality of breast milk and helps prevent cardiovascular disease and obesity.
- Helps improve the neuromotor development of the baby.
- Shortens the duration of labor.
For these and many more health benefits, it is important that as long as you have your doctor’s approval, you get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week during your pregnancy .
Photo | iStock
Via | The vanguard
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