On previous occasions we have talked about the problems that can occur when a woman is obese or overweight during pregnancy. The most common problem with obesity is that the baby is born too big, which makes him more likely to suffer from obesity in the future.
Other problems may also occur during pregnancy, such as suffering from gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, among other health complications. However, a recent study found that exercising would help reduce the possibility of suffering from this kind of complications.
Researchers at the Oregon University of Health and Science in Portland discovered that exercising during pregnancy could be an effective way for women with obesity to reduce the chance of suffering from diabetes or hypertension. The study was presented during the meeting of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Society held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"The study suggests that an exercise-based prenatal intervention would help lower costs and get better results in obese women."said Leah Savitsky, a medical student at the aforementioned university and who was part of the team that conducted the study.
The team of researchers analyzed previously published studies about the effect of exercise in pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. The normal or healthy BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9, while a BMI of 30 or more indicates that you suffer from obesity.
Based on your analysis of these previous studies, the researchers calculated the benefit of exercise in women who were obese since the beginning of their pregnancy. They calculated that for every million women with this profile, there would be 38,176 cases of a serious illness related to pregnancy, such as preeclampsia among those who exercised, compared with 113,000 cases of women who did not exercise.
Exercising would also be related to a reduction of the possibility of suffering from gestational diabetes, with an amount of 195.520 per million women who exercised, compared with 305,500 women who did not perform physical activity.
It was also estimated that for every million obese pregnant women the birth rate of premature babies would decrease from 105,059 to 90,923 when exercising during pregnancywhile the Maternal mortality rate would fall from 90 to 70 and neonatal mortality from 1,923 to 1,795.
Exercise during pregnancy benefits all women
These results not only benefit women who suffer from obesity during pregnancy. The researchers applied this same model in women with a normal BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 and found similar benefits in those who had a healthy weight and exercised during pregnancy.
In addition to these findings could help obese women have fewer complications during pregnancy and childbirth, this way it is proven that physical activity during pregnancy, regardless of weight, benefits all women.
In the case of overweight women it is also important to perform physical activity, as well as bring a good diet during pregnancy. Drink plenty of water, eat with measure and try not to gain weight during the first trimester These are some of the recommendations for a healthy pregnancy.
While the study was not designed to present some lines or exercise recommendations for women with obesity during pregnancy, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Leave your recommendations for exercise during pregnancy and puerperium. Some of them are:
- Perform mild or moderate exercise three times a week.
- Avoid standing for a long time without moving.
- Avoid exercises that support the weight of the body, such as cycling or swimming.
- Reduce the intensity of certain exercises, since during pregnancy the oxygen decreases for the performance of some, such as aerobics.
- Avoid any type of exercise that involves even only mild abdominal trauma.
- Make sure that the diet you follow is adequate for the exercises you do.
- Hydrate properly and wear comfortable clothes to avoid excessive heat.
Remember that the ideal is Ask your doctor or gynecologist about what you can do to stay active according to particular situation, since every woman and every pregnancy is different.
