As we discussed previously, the benefits of exercise are evident for women before, during, and after pregnancy. Today we will see that it is not only mom that receives the benefits, your baby does too! There are many short- and long-term benefits for a fetus in utero.
We know that during exercise, there are physiological changes that occur in our body, such as increased heart rate, increased body temperature, and changes in our energy metabolism. During exercise, a fetus in utero also experiences a normal physiological response, as if they were exercising themselves. Babies born to mothers that exercised throughout their pregnancy are more likely to be born at a normal birth weight.
In our last blog, we touched on how mothers are able to handle the stress of labor better because mom’s body was trained on how to deal with the physical stress of exercise. The same concept applies to the baby. Babies are more physically able in utero and immediately after birth, which means they are in better condition before and during labor. After birth, they have an easier transition to life outside the womb and are more alert. Studies have shown that newborns are able to maintain their body temperature and blood glucose levels better than those born to mothers that did not exercise.
These benefits of exercise have been found to extend into toddlers, young children, and possibly longer! Studies have found that at one year of age, babies born to exercising mothers performed better mentally and physically. At five years of age, children scored higher on intelligence tests and had better oral language skills. If the trends of healthier body composition continue, the children may have a reduced risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disease later in life.
Remember, each woman and each pregnancy is different. We have a Pre & Post Natal Corrective Exercise Specialist on staff here at Active Life Chiropractic that is passionate about exercise and here to help guide you through a healthy active pregnancy and postpartum. To schedule your first visit, call our office at 701-255-4241 or email Kayla directly at activelifekayla@gmail.com.
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