IS IT POSSIBLE TO AVOID GESTATIONAL DIABETES WITH MORE EXERCISE?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO AVOID GESTATIONAL DIABETES WITH MORE EXERCISE? Pregnant women who exercise more during the first trimester of pregnancy may have a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes, according to a new study led by Samantha Ehrlich, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and adjunct investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. The analysis found that lower risk was associated with at least 38 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day -- a bit more than current recommendations of at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Gestational diabetes refers to diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy. It can pose serious health problems, including pregnancy and delivery complications, and an increased future risk for diabetes in both mother and child. Ehrlich said, "We know that exercise is safe and beneficial for healthy pregnant women. These results show that exercise helps