Exercise during pregnancy would have positive effects on the baby's heart

A new study shows that yoga before birth, and other moderate physical activities, have beneficial effects not only for the health of the mother, but also the heart of the baby after birth.

Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kansas City (USA) presented a new study presented at the annual Experimental Biology meeting this week in Washington, it shows that exercise during pregnancy, for at least 30 minutes three times a week, has beneficial effects on the baby's heart until one month after birth.

This new research follows a 2008 pilot study conducted by the same team, who had discovered that pregnant women who did exercise had fetuses with a lower heart rate - which is the sign of a heart healthy - in the last weeks of their development.



In a 2010 study, researchers at the University of Auckland (New Zealand) had also reported that regular aerobic exercise for a pregnant woman could have beneficial effects on health of a developing fetus, because it led to a slight reduction in weight of the baby at birth. A high birth weight is generally associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity - study therefore suggested that mothers who were of the exercise could help their baby to start life healthy.

Before starting an exercise program while pregnant, consult your doctor, especially if one has a few extra pounds and if one is not accustomed to physical exercise. WedMD suggests to opt for swimming, brisk walking, bike, or step on elliptical machines, or low impact aerobics, under the supervision of a teacher.

Jogging can be practiced in moderation, especially those who were running prior to their pregnancy. Avoid activities that require to hold his breath, and those where it can fall or make sudden movements. It should also avoid playing sports in hot and humid.