Exercise in obese pregnant women: positive impacts and current perceptions

Abstract

Overweight and obesity have significant implications during pregnancy and childbirth. The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the effect of physical activity on pregnancy outcomes, the change of physical activity during pregnancy, and women’s perception of being physically active during pregnancy, with a particular focus on women who are overweight or obese. Many studies have investigated the beneficial effect of exercise during pregnancy, including reduced risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and operative birth, in addition to improved cardiovascular function, overall fitness, psychological well-being, and mood stability. Benefits for the infant include reduced risks of prematurity and improved fetal growth, although there is more limited information about longer-term health benefits for both women and infants. The existing literature examining physical activity patterns during pregnancy has generally focused on women of all body mass index categories, consistently indicating a reduction in activity over the course of pregnancy. However, the available literature evaluating physical activity during pregnancy among women who are overweight or obese is more limited and contradictory. A number of studies identified barriers preventing women from being active during pregnancy, including pregnancy symptoms, lack of time, access to child care, and concerns about their safety and that of their unborn baby. Conversely, significant enablers included positive psychological feelings, family influence, and receiving advice from health professionals. Very few studies have provided insights about perceptions of being active during pregnancy in the overweight and obese population. There is a need for a detailed description of physical activity patterns during pregnancy in women who are overweight or obese, and more randomized trials evaluating exercise interventions for women who are overweight or obese, with a focus on clinical outcomes.

Lived experiences of routine antenatal dietetic services among women with obesity: A qualitative phenomenological study

“…However, similar to the women in this study, others have identified a lack of advice and support with physical activity in pregnancy, and a particular concern around safety (Weir et al, 2010;Sui and Dodd, 2013;Padmanabhan et al, 2015), while receiving physical activity advice from health professionals is a key enabler to supporting physical activity (Sui and Dodd, 2013).…”

The Perspectives of Pregnant Women on Health-Promoting Behaviors: An Integrative Systematic Review

“…Therefore, they were too eager to get health-related messages to improve neonatal outcomes (33). On the other hand, studies suggested that pregnant women were not informed enough concerning the issues related to health (33,35), so they were unable to express the benefits of changing the diet and physical activities (35), plus they did not have sufficient information about obesity and overweight (33,35).…”

Pregnant and active – suitability of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire for measuring the physical activity of pregnant women in Poland

“…• none, less than 1/2 hour per day, 1/2 to almost 1 hour per day, 1 to almost 2 hours per day, 2 to almost 3 hours per day, 3 or more hours per day (questions: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,14,15,16,19,20,21 ). Based on the average weekly energy expenditure, each of these activities was additionally classified by intensity: a) sedentary activity, b) light-intensity activity, c) moderate-intensity activity, d) vigorous-intensity activity.…”

“…One of benefits of physical activity during pregnancy is a reduced risk of gestational diabetes [13]; nevertheless, the level of knowledge in Polish women about gestational diabetes is still insufficient [14]. Physical activity helps control body mass and prevents obesity [15], which increases perinatal mortality [16]. Additionally, physically active women tend to experience fewer side effects of pregnancy, such as insomnia, anxiety and somatic symptoms (e.g.…”