Why is exercise needed during pregnancy?

For most women, prenatal exercise is an important component of a healthy pregnancy, even for those who were sedentary before becoming pregnant. Once cleared for exercise by a physician, pregnant women can enjoy the many benefits associated with regular exercise. Expectant mothers can maintain or even improve fitness. These improvements can be realized in as few as 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking), three to five days per week. Additionally, regular exercise is associated with a lower incidence of excessive maternal weight gain, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, vascular problems, and low-back pain. It has even been shown that women who continue regular exercise throughout their pregnancy tend to have easier, shorter, and less complicated deliveries. After the delivery of the baby, moms can expect to return to normal daily function and lose pregnancy weight more rapidly if they stuck with an exercise program during the previous 9 months and then continue exercising postpartum. So, with all these benefits who wouldn’t want to exercise during pregnancy?

Source: https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/fit...