Fit for a baby part 1 Fit for a baby Exercise gets thumbs up during pregnancy Everyone knows by now that pretty much everyone is a good candidate for getting in shape. Pregnant women who exercise get the same important benefits as anyone else. According to Graves, exercise provides a woman with heart and lung conditioning, helps manage her weight, and prevents or controls the type of diabetes that often arises during pregnancy.
Exercise is also an effective mood enhancer.
There is also some evidence that fit women have a shorter labor and less need for labor induction and anesthesia. These qualities will serve her well during labor, delivery and recovery. Some women should not exercise, but they are relatively unusual cases, Graves adds. Women with heart disease, severe blood pressure problems, bleeding or an incompetent cervix are often advised by their doctors to stay in bed until the baby is born. Plan UC Davis Health System is pleased to provide this information for general reference purposes only.