Pregnant women who exercise by stretching are more likely to maintain their exercise activities until the end of pregnancy compared to women who walk for exercise, according to a SON study published in August issue of Research in Nursing & Health.
In a study of 124 women, most of whom were white, well educated and relatively affluent, SON associate professor SeonAe Yeo, PhD, RNC, FAAN, found that women who follow a regimen of stretching continue to exercise longer into their pregnancies.
Study participants were asked to adhere as closely as possible to 40-minute-a-day, five-times-a-week exercise schedule. The walking exercise involved moderate-intensity walking, i.e. walking to 55 percent to 69 percent of age-determined maximum heart rate. The stretching exercise included an instructional videotape of slow muscle movements with no aerobic or muscle resistance components.
These findings are secondary conclusions from a previous study focused on determining whether stretching is more effective than walking at reducing a woman’s risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy.
“Based on our results, we found that women who stretch for exercise during pregnancy have more favorable blood pressure changes throughout gestation, were more likely to stay within the recommended weight-gain limits, and they experienced less fluctuation in their resting heart rate during late pregnancy,” Yeo said. “With our original study looking at exercise’s effect on the risk of preeclampsia, these findings highlight the fact that the type of exercise also influences a woman’s likelihood of sticking with it to realize a protective benefit.”
The rate of adherence to the exercise routine was measured at 18 weeks, 28 weeks and 38 weeks. At each evaluation point, stretchers reported exercising more times per week than walkers. The length of time walkers spent exercising also declined from one evaluation to the next (36 minutes to 33 minutes to 31 minutes).
To read the entire study: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117871052/issue
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