A study appearing in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise has found that less than 20 percent of pregnant women are meeting the current recommendations for 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise a day. The study authors said that obstetricians and gynecologists need to do a better job of encouraging women with uncomplicated pregnancies to exercise. "The message is not getting out that women should continue to exercise during pregnancy, at least at moderate intensity," said study author Terry Leet, from Saint Louis University. "Only one of every six pregnant women are meeting the current physical activity recommendation of 30 or more minutes of moderate physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week."
The findings echo the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology's 2002 guidelines for exercise during pregnancy, compiled by doctor Raul Artal. Artal said that not enough of his fellow obstetricians encourage their healthy patients to exercise during pregnancy. "The hesitance of obstetricians to recommend exercise to pregnant women is rooted in old-fashioned notions of pregnancy as a time of confinement," he added.
The Saint Louis University study analyzed data from more than 150,000 pregnant and non-pregnant women who were interviewed by phone. Disappointingly, only 16 percent of pregnant women and 27 percent of non-pregnant women were meeting the current physical activity recommendations. And more worryingly, the percentage of pregnant women who said they exercised is decreasing.
"These women should be encouraged to begin moderate activities most, if not all days of the week, as long as medical or obstetric complications do not exist," said Leet, who defined moderate exercise as brisk walking for 30 or more minutes, at least five days a week.
Source: Saint Louis University
