Doing this exercise during pregnancy may ease tiredness, anxiety and back pain, new study finds

New research highlights the benefits of a structured strength-training programme for pregnant women, revealing improvements in quality of life and a reduction in common pregnancy symptoms. The study, involving 209 participants, also suggests a possible decrease in gestational diabetes risk, though further research is needed. Pregnancy can bring everything from exhaustion and anxiety to back and pelvic pain. But new research suggests one form of exercise may help women feel better as their pregnancy progresses. A study involving 209 pregnant women found those who followed a structured strength-training programme reported a better quality of life and fewer pregnancy-related symptoms. Researchers also noticed a possible reduction in gestational diabetes, although they stressed that larger studies are needed before they can say whether strength training genuinely lowers the risk. What did the researchers find? The randomised clinical trial, published in the medical journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, involved pregnant women who were overweight or living with obesity. Participants were divided into two groups. One received their usual antenatal care, while the other followed a strength-training programme from around weeks 12 to 14 of pregnancy until week 36 or delivery. The programme included one supervised session each week, as well as home workouts. Women were encouraged to exercise three times a week using light weights or resistance bands. Those in the strength-training group reported a significantly better quality of life, as well as fewer symptoms including tiredness, anxiety, digestive problems and back, pelvic and sciatic pain. There was no significant difference in adverse outcomes, including premature birth, between the two groups. © Shutterstock Could it reduce the risk of gestational diabetes? Researchers found that 2% of women in the exercise group developed gestational diabetes, compared with 7.3% of those receiving standard antenatal care. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Among women who managed at least two exercise sessions a week, there were no cases of gestational diabetes. But this was a smaller exploratory analysis and also failed to reach statistical significance. Lead researcher Dr Teresa E Santa Cruz said the findings suggest that regularly following a structured strength-training programme during pregnancy may help reduce diabetes risk while improving maternal wellbeing. She added that further research is needed to confirm the findings and establish how strength training could safely become part of routine antenatal care. Is strength training safe during pregnancy? The NHS advises women to remain active during pregnancy for as long as they feel comfortable. As a general rule, you should still be able to hold a conversation while exercising. However, pregnancy is not the time to suddenly begin strenuous exercise. Anyone who was not active before becoming pregnant should speak to their midwife or GP before starting a new programme. The NHS also advises telling exercise instructors that you are pregnant and avoiding activities with a risk of falling or being hit. So this is not a reason to start lifting heavy weights without guidance. But for women who have been cleared to exercise, light weights or resistance bands could offer benefits that go well beyond building muscle.