Light Exercise During Pregnancy May Reduce Obesity Risk for Baby

Research has found that babies who are heavy for their length have an increased risk of obesity later in life. To accompany these findings, researchers from the University of Auckland teamed up with Northern Arizona University researchers to compare two groups of pregnant women–those who practiced a light exercise regimen and those who did not.

The study found that the exercising women’s babies were on average.32 lb lighter, but no shorter, than the babies of their non-exercising counterparts.

Study leader Dr Paul Hofman said, "Given that large birth size is associated with increased risk of obesity, a modest reduction in birth weight may have long-term health benefits for offspring by lowering this risk later in life."