Exercises

Exercise may Prevent Musculoskeletal Pain During Pregnancy

A just-published study reveals that many of the common aches and pains associated with pregnancy, including low-back pain, result from overuse injuries that may be prevented with exercise.

The study looked at 15 women in the second half of their last trimester of pregnancy. The women were also evaluated one year after delivery. Three-dimensional gait analysis revealed that during pregnancy the hip abductor, hip extensor and ankle plantar flexor muscles withstood additional stress. However, gait speed, stride length, cadence and joint angles remained unchanged.

The study's authors noted that training programs could keep muscles in condition during pregnancy, reducing the risk of overuse injury. They write: "Physicians caring for pregnant women with musculoskeletal problems should emphasize the value of exercise and conditioning during pregnancy for both preventative and rehabilitative management."

Foti, T; Davids JR.; Bagley A A biomechanical analysis of gait during pregnancy J Bone Joint Surg (Am) 2000 May;82(5):625-32



Mom's Who Workout Have Calmer Babies

Several recent studies extolled the virtues of staying in shape during pregnancy. Now, a late-breaking report in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology indicates that infants of fit mothers have a behavioral advantage over babies of sedentary moth­ers. A cohort of 34 infants born to women who exercised during pregnancy was compared with a group of 31 babies born to sedentary mothers.

After evaluating the newborns using a battery of seven behavioral tests, researchers found that infants of active mothers differed in two key aspects: they were more alert and they were less demanding of attention, compared with infants of inactive mothers.

Clamp III JF, Lopez B, Harcar-Seveik R   Neonatal behavioral profile of the offspring of women who continued to exercise regularly throughout pregnancy   Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999 (Jan);   180   (1 Pt 1):   91-94



Pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy to prevent urinary incontinence Three hundred one healthy nulliparous women were randomly allocated to a training (n = 148) or a control group (n = 153). The training group attended a 12-week intensive pelvic floor muscle training program during pregnancy, supervised by physiotherapists. The control group received the customary information. The primary outcome measure was self-reported symptoms of urinary incontinence.

CONCLUSION:   Intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy prevents urinary incontinence during pregnancy and after delivery. Pelvic floor muscle strength improved significantly after intensive pelvic floor muscle training.

Morkved S, Bo K, Schei B, Salvesen KA   Pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy to prevent urinary incontinence: a single-blind randomized controlled trial   Obstet Gynecol 2003 (Feb);   101 (2):   313-319



Perineal Exercises Prevent Post-Natal Incontinence

Advice and training in pelvic floor exercises and bladder control can reduce the incidence of persistent urinary incontinence after childbirth. Postnatal urinary incontinence affects around 30% of women and, without treatment, can persist for at least a year in two thirds of them. In a large randomised controlled trial of conservative management provided by nurses Glazener and colleagues it was found that the risk of both urinary and faecal incontinence was reduced at 12 months after delivery.

Glazener CM, Herbison GP, Wilson PD   Conservative management of persistent postnatal urinary and faecal incontinence: randomised controlled trial   Brit Med Jou 2001 (Sep 15);   323 (7313):   593-596