Exercise Guidelines in Pregnancy
- PDF / 203,383 Bytes
- 16 Pages / 505 x 720 pts Page_size
- 94 Downloads / 201 Views
CURRENT OPINION
ª 2011 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved.
Exercise Guidelines in Pregnancy New Perspectives Gerald S. Zavorsky1,2 and Lawrence D. Longo3 1 Human Physiology Laboratory, Marywood University, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA 2 The Commonwealth Medical College, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA 3 Center for Perinatal Biology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA
Abstract
In 2002, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published exercise guidelines for pregnancy, which suggested that in the absence of medical or obstetric complications, 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day on most, if not all, days of the week is recommended for pregnant women. However, these guidelines did not define ‘moderate intensity’ or the specific amount of weekly caloric expenditure from physical activity required. Recent research has determined that increasing physical activity energy expenditure to a minimum of 16 metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours per week, or preferably 28 MET hours per week, and increasing exercise intensity to ‡60% of heart rate reserve during pregnancy, reduces the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and perhaps hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (i.e. gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia) compared with less vigorous exercise. To achieve the target expenditure of 28 MET hours per week, one could walk at 3.2 km per hour for 11.2 hours per week (2.5 METs, light intensity), or preferably exercise on a stationary bicycle for 4.7 hours per week (~6–7 METs, vigorous intensity). The more vigorous the exercise, the less total time of exercise is required per week, resulting in ‡60% reduction in total exercise time compared with light intensity exercise. Light muscle strengthening performed over the second and third trimester of pregnancy has minimal effects on a newborn infant’s body size and overall health. On the basis of this and other information, updated recommendations for exercise in pregnancy are suggested.
1. Introduction Regular aerobic exercise is an important component for the maintenance of overall health. Exercise is especially important in pregnancy, as women of childbearing age are at increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which has been strongly linked with obesity.[1,2] As more women tend to gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy, they also tend to retain the weight after delivery.[3,4] Gaining an excessive
amount of weight during pregnancy can result in obesity-associated co-morbidities, which are a major health concern in the US.[5] In 2002, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published exercise guidelines for pregnancy.[6] These suggested that in the absence of medical or obstetric complications, 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day on most, if not all, days of the week is recommended for pregnant women. These guidelines were based on the 1995 joint recommendations
Zavorsky & Longo
346
by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
Data Loading...
