Thank your active mom for your healthy heart, say researchers investigating impact of pregnancy exercise
Heart health starts in the womb, according to researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, who found that babies had better heart health after birth when their mothers exercised, even moderately, throughout pregnancy.
“Our research shows that exercise or movement during pregnancy is good for mothers and their offspring. It doesn’t have to be intense exercise; the key is to be active,” said study leader Kristin Stanford, Ph.D., who is with The Ohio State University College of Medicine and associate director of the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute.
While previous research has validated the benefits of exercise during pregnancy to the person working out, until now, not much was known about how such activity impacts the unborn child. So by studying mice, researchers were able to determine that in addition to genetics, pregnant moms can pass down better health.
“Our findings provide insight on ways to prevent transmission of cardiovascular diseases to future generations,” Stanford said.