Performing water aerobics during pregnancy may ease the pain of delivery, a small, randomized trial found. Women who participated in the moderate-intensity exercise program were significantly less likely to request painkillers during labor than those who didn’t exercise (27.3% versus 64.9%, P=0.004), Rosa Pereira, M.D., of the University of Campinas, and colleagues reported online in Reproductive Health.
There were no significant differences between the groups in cardiovascular capacity, type or duration of delivery, or neonatal outcomes.
“We’ve shown that the regular practice of moderate water aerobics during pregnancy is not detrimental to the health of the mother or the child,” Dr. Pereira said. “In fact, the reduction in analgesia requests suggests that it can get women into better psycho-physical condition.”
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