EXERCISE: Physical activity during pregnancy benefits unborn child
August 13, 2019 • 1 min read
-- Barely a third of European and American youngsters meet physical activity guidelines that recommend at least an hour of run and play each day. A child’s prenatal environment could be to blame.
Research shows that relatively poor coordination in early childhood is linked to inactivity and obesity in adolescence and adulthood. Mothers can change the game – by exercising during pregnancy.
A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise discovered that babies whose mothers had exercised during pregnancy tended to perform better on a battery of tests measuring motor skills – or coordination.
The story gets better. Further research shows babies born to mothers who exercised developed stronger, more athletic hearts – even before birth. Their pulses were slower and the beat-to-beat variability greater, a general indication of better-conditioned cardiac muscles.
The research supports advice provided by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which encourages expectant mothers to engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day on most if not all days of the week.
Conclusion: expectant mothers hold the keys to the future health and sporting success of a nation.
No pressure.