Playing sports during pregnancy helps you stay fit and is good for both mother and child. According to a study by the Technical University of Madrid, physical activity also helps to shorten labor.

The team of Professor Ruben Barakat has carried out a study on 508 pregnant and healthy women. 253 of them did the control group, while 255 did sport during pregnancy. Women in the second group followed an aerobic program three times a week throughout the gestation period.

At the time of delivery, the researchers took note of a number of factors, including:

• duration of labor;
• weight gained by the mother;
• use of the epidural;
• weight of the child.

Women who had participated in aerobics classes had a shorter average labor. In particular, physical exercise seems to have reduced the duration of the first phase of labor and the total duration. Furthermore, the women of the second group made less use of the epidural than those of the first group. Even the weight of newborns was more normal among the new mothers who had done sports during pregnancy.

The study is yet another test of how much exercise in pregnancy is useful for both the mother and the child. It is necessary for the woman to adhere to a program of exercises that is moderate and in line with the needs of pregnancy. Nevertheless, a minimum of attention is enough to enjoy great benefits in the long term.

Source: independent.co.uk