The Efficacy of Light-to-moderate Resistance Training in Sedentary Pregnant Women

Maintaining a physically active lifestyle is associated with many health benefits, including lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, some type of cancer, and depression . Pregnant, healthy women are recommended to do 30 minutes or more of light to moderate exercise a day, although most women in the Western world do not follow current recommendations and decrease their exercise level. Benefits of exercise during pregnancy are several, including a protective effect against the development of gestational diabetes mellitus, reduced pregnancy related low back pain, and risk of caesarean delivery. On the contrary, a recent review concludes that sedentary behaviors are associated with higher levels of C Reactive Protein and LDL Cholesterol, a larger newborn abdominal circumference, and macrosomia. Previous studies show that exercise during pregnancy is associated with improvements in psychological well-being among previously sedentary women. Only a few RCT's have studied resistance exercise during pregnancy. These studies have found reduced fatigue and reduced need of insulin among women with gestational diabetes mellitus who did resistance exercise, with no adverse effects on fetus or the pregnant woman. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of regular light -to-moderate resistance exercise among sedentary pregnant woman, with regard to fatigue, health related quality of life, pain location and intensity, body weight gain, blood pressure, and childbirth outcomes.