Regular exercise and an active lifestyle during pregnancy helps reduce the risk of a premature delivery. To examine the relation between physical exercise during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth, researchers analysed physical activity information reported by 87,232 pregnant women in Denmark between 1996 and 2002. Around one-third of the women said that they did regular exercise such as swimming, low-impact leisure time activity such as aerobics, dancing, walking, bicycling, and yoga during early pregnancy. Most of these women engaged in such activities for 1 to 2 hours per week, and somewhat fewer reported the same during later pregnancy. A reduced risk of preterm birth was found among 40% of women who engaged in some kind of exercise during pregnancy as compared to those who did not exercise. It was found that neither the type of exercise nor the level of exercise changed this equation. This study highlights the fact that women who engage in regular exercise during pregnancy are less likely to give birth prematurely.
American Journal of Epidemiology,
April 2008