Maternal Pregnancy Outcomes
The data examining the impact of exercise on maternal fitness, symptoms of pregnancy, maternal well-being, maternal weight gain, and labor and delivery outcomes are varied and limited. Most published studies agree that there is an improvement in maternal fitness and well-being in women who exercise during pregnancy. Women who exercise during pregnancy benefit from an improvement in physical fitness, aerobic capacity and overall exercise performance. This is seen in both women who start a new exercise program and those who continue exercising during pregnancy. Collings et al found that women who started an exercise program consisting of 35 minutes of stationary cycling 3 times a week through the third trimester had an 18% improvement in their maximum aerobic capacity, while the control group, who did not exercise, had a 4% decline in maximum aerobic capacity. A small trial of sedentary primigravidas randomized 10 patients each to a control group and an exercise group (1 hour, 3 times a week, for 15 weeks). The exercise group had improved mean aerobic fitness during pregnancy, while the control group had a drop in mean aerobic fitness at the end of the program. Women who exercise during pregnancy are more physically fit and maintain better exercise performance as pregnancy progresses as compared to women who do not exercise during pregnancy.