ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the benefits and potential risks of exercise in pregnancy, the contraindications to exercise in pregnancy, and the recommendations for type, intensity, frequency, and duration of activity in pregnancy. Data suggests that exercise before pregnancy and during the first 20 weeks plays a protective role. Exercise provides psychological and physiological mechanisms to improve mood in pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy has been shown to reduce excess weight gain and decrease weight retention postpartum. Gestational diabetes mellitus is one of the most common pregnancy complications, affecting approximately 7% of pregnancies in the United States. Insulin resistance in normal pregnancy is estimated to increase by 40–70% and is related to the increase in cortisol, growth hormone, human placental lactogen, estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin associated with the growth of the fetal-placental unit. Hypertensive disorders occur in approximately 12–22% of pregnancies and are among the leading causes of maternal mortality in the United States, accounting for 15–20% of maternal deaths.
