Turns out, better fitness in before pregnancy, reduces the risk of gestational diabetes in women. According to a University of Iowa-led study, expectant mothers who were fitter before pregnancy, are at lower risk of developing gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes, a condition in which women develop diabetes during the last half of pregnancy, affects up to 14 percent of pregnant women in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop Type-II diabetes after giving birth.People interested in becoming more fit can do so by engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week (30 minutes per day, five days per week), said Kara Whitaker, corresponding author on the study.Brisk walking would constitute moderate physical activity; jogging would be considered vigorous physical activity.”Women are very careful during pregnancy with what they eat and the exercise they get,” Whitaker said. “But the study shows women should engage in these healthy behaviors before they get pregnant as well.”Whitaker’s team analysed data from 1,333 women over a 25-year period (1985 to 2011) who enrolled in a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study called Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA).The women completed seven study visits after first being enrolled, reporting whether they had become pregnant or gave birth and whether they developed diabetes. Researchers also performed a fitness exam during the first study visit by testing whether the women could walk for two-minute intervals on a treadmill at increasing speeds and on steepening inclines.Over the study period, 164 women developed gestational diabetes. Using that information, Whitaker’s team determined that pre-pregnant women with high levels of fitness had a 21 percent lower risk of developing gestational diabetes than did those with lower fitness levels.”We would expect to see this reduction in gestational diabetes risk if women had moderate improvements in fitness–going from fair to good fitness, for example” said Whitaker.Your back aches, your ankles are swollen, and you can’t sleep (let’s not even talk about the bloating and constipation!). If only there were something you could do to minimize the common symptoms of pregnancy. Turns out, there is: exercise is one of the most effective cures for the aches and pains of the expecting set.While it’s true that now isn’t the time to learn to water ski or enter a horse-jumping competition, most women can still enjoy most fitness activities. In fact, many exercises that are off-limits during pregnancy (like mountain biking or downhill skiing) are ones you’d probably have a hard time doing with a basketball-sized tummy anyway.That said, definitely be sure to get the go-ahead from your practitioner before you start any exercise program during pregnancy. Some conditions (such as severe anemia, placenta previa, incompetent cervix and ruptured membranes, among others) can rule out exercise during pregnancy.Just be careful walking on slippery pool sides, and step or slide into the water rather than diving or jumping in. Your growing baby isn’t equipped to handle the bubbles that form inside the body when you quickly change altitudes under the pressure of the water (it’s why scuba diving is a big no-no).
And as your pregnancy progresses, your center of gravity will likely be off too. All that means the impact of diving isn’t worth the potential risk.There’s no easier exercise to fit into your busy schedule than walking during pregnancy … and it’s a workout you can continue right up until your delivery date (and even on D-day if you’re anxious to help along the contractions). What’s more, you don’t need any special equipment or a gym membership to participate — just some good sneakers.
