Regular physical activity contributes positively to physical and psychological health. Adverse consequences of inactivity may be an especially important problem among pregnant women. Up to 60% are inactive during pregnancy. This review found consistent evidence that physical activity is reduced during pregnancy; however, few investigators have sought to quantify physical activity patterns among pregnant women using well validated measures. Some of the barriers to physical activity during pregnancy, such as depression, anxiety and fatigue, have been shown to be attenuated by regular exercise performed by non-pregnant samples. There is a need to better understand the relationships between these factors and physical activity during pregnancy. Available retrospective and prospective results suggest that both leisure time and work-related physical activities are decreased across pregnancy. Intensity and duration decrease both during pregnancy compared with pre-pregnancy and in the third trimester compared with the first. There is a need for well designed longitudinal investigations that document pregnancy-related changes in physical activity at frequent intervals during pregnancy using validated and more precise measures of physical activity. Reductions in physical activity and a worsening mood are common during pregnancy. If the relationship between physical inactivity and mood disturbances is indeed observed and maintained during pregnancy, then decreases in physical activity in the third trimester would be expected to result in a worsening mood. In recent years, increased attention has been paid to antenatal mood disturbances, and this research has yielded a host of important findings. Prior correlational and experimental research with non-pregnant samples has demonstrated a consistent relationship between physical inactivity and mood disturbances. Whether this relationship occurs among pregnant women and/or is maintained as women progress during pregnancy is uncertain. Prior investigations have revealed that there is higher rate of mood disturbance during pregnancy than following pregnancy but little is known about the mechanisms that cause these mood disturbances. It is important to better understand changes in mood with pregnancy because mood disturbances can have major negative consequences for a pregnant woman. The major adverse consequences of depression among pregnant women are largely the same as those of non-pregnant individuals. Only six investigations have quantified the relationship between changes in physical activity and changes in mood during pregnancy. The available evidence suggests that inactivity is associated with worse mood. Additional research into this topic is warranted due to the limited number of published papers and the design and methodology limitations of these investigations.

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The results provide some evidence for the validity of the 7-d PAR and accelerometer as measures of physical activity in pregnancy. Healthy women who maintain an above average level of physical activity during the second and third trimesters can enjoy mood stability.

Objective-Describe safety and efficacy of a supervised, low-to-moderate intensity strength training program adopted during pregnancy among women at increased risk for back pain.Methods-32 women adopted strength training twice per week for 12 weeks. Data on musculoskeletal injuries, symptoms, blood pressure, and the absolute external load used for 5 of 6 exercises were obtained during each session. A submaximal lumbar extension endurance exercise test was performed at weeks 5, 10, and 13.Results-The mean (± SD) exercise session attendance rate was 80.5% (± 11.3%). No musculoskeletal injuries occurred. Potentially adverse symptoms (eg, dizziness) were infrequent (2.1% of sessions). Repeated-measures ANOVA showed large increases in the external load across 12 weeks (all P values < .001) and the percentage increases in external load from weeks 1 to 12 were 36% for leg press, 39% for leg curl, 39% for lat pull down, 41% for lumbar extension and 56% for leg extension. Training was associated with a 14% increase in lumbar endurance. Blood pressure was unchanged following acute exercise sessions and after 12 weeks of exercise training.Conclusion-The adoption of a supervised, low-to-moderate intensity strength training program during pregnancy can be safe and efficacious for pregnant women.Keywords blood pressure; exercise; physical activity; resistance training; symptoms; weight lifting Physical inactivity during pregnancy reduces fitness and appears to increase fetal and maternal risk for health problems such as diabetes. [1][2][3][4] Low-to-moderate intensity aerobictype exercise performed during pregnancy is safe, improves maternal fitness and appears to NIH Public Access NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript improve several aspects of fetal and maternal health. [5][6][7] Relatively little is known, however, about the influence of strength training on fitness-or health-related outcomes in pregnant women. 1,2,8 Rubber tubing has been used to provide resistance in some studies; 2 consequently, the progression in exercise intensity (eg, the increase in external load across training) has not been quantified precisely.Though relatively few injuries occur during recreational strength training, 9 the injury rate among women of child bearing age has increased as the number of women participating has increased. 10 The injury rate among the ~3% to 4% of pregnant women in the United States who lift weights 11 is unknown but their risk for musculoskeletal injury might be higher than that of nonpregnant women. Pregnancy elevates tissue levels of the peptide hormone relaxin which could increase the risk of musculoskeletal injury during strength training. 12 Obstetricians recommend resistance exercise less frequently than aerobic exercise modes, perhaps because of theoretical safety concerns such as an increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries or aortic distensions. 13 When weight lifting exercises were incorporated into an aerobic training program the safety and efficacy of the outcome...

1) for both women and men, there is a positive association between the intensity of eccentric exercise performed with the elbow flexors and RPE; 2) perceived exertion ratings increase significantly then plateau when repeated eccentric muscle actions are performed at constant, submaximal absolute intensities; 3) women rate eccentric exercise performed at the same intensity (relativized to MVC-C) as being less effortful compared with men; and 4) RPE during eccentric exercise can account for a small but significant amount of variability in delayed-onset muscle pain after statistically controlling for differences in strength or relative intensity.