Did you know that your child's love for exercise starts from your womb?

If you are health conscious and an exercise-loving expecting mum, then you may be setting the right precedence for your baby.

A new study has found that expecting mums who remain active throughout their pregnancy, they may have children who are exercise-loving.

What the study says

This study was conducted by the Baylor College of Medicine in the US. Here, the researchers studied the voluntary physical activity of mice. While half the group was given a wheel to run on, the other half was not. Through this experiment, they made the following observations:

• About 50 percent of their offsprings were physically active as compared to those whose mothers did not exercise or attempt any physical activity
• Females with the running wheel ran upto 10km, they ran less as the pregnancy progressed
• On the contrary, females without the wheel did not show much physical activity

Lead author of the study, Robert A Waterland, observed, "Although most people assume that an individual's tendency to be physical active is determined by genetics, our results clearly show that the environment can play an important role during foetal development."

Exercising during pregnancy

This study is significant because it reveals that mothers who willingly engage in physical activity are more likely to give birth to children who are also interested to exercise. But even so, expecting mums are usually advised to be physically active in order to prepare the body for the birthing process and to recover faster post delivery.

Here are some benefits of exercise during pregnancy:

• Exercise helps to tone and strengthen pelvic muscles, lower abdomen and even the lower back
• Exercising during pregnancy also helps to maintain good posture, blood circulation and respiration
• It also helps in maintaining a positive body-image, uplifted mood and self-esteem
• Developing babies of prenatal exercisers have higher fitness levels and are less likely to be prone to childhood obesity
• Developing babies of prenatal exercisers also have a higher chance of escaping high-risk health conditions such a heart problems

Most experts recommend that expecting mums should consider yoga as the primary form of exercise. It not only tones the body but also prepares it for

Read: Kegel exercise and childbirth: 5 steps to prepare the pelvic muscles

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