THERE'S NEVER BEEN a better time for women in the western world to be pregnant - technology has eliminated many risks to mothers and their unborn children. But there are still plenty of myths and much controversy about whether and how much a woman can exercise when she's pregnant.
On one hand, there are reports about women running marathons while well into their pregnancies. On the other hand, many family, friends and well-wishers advise refraining from exercising until after the baby's born.
In Roman times, exercise was considered to enhance people's health, generally - moderate activity was encouraged during the second trimester, and low intensity exercise during the first and third trimesters. Whereas, in the Victorian era in Britain, any form of physical activity by pregnant women was frowned on.
Today, the interest in exercise and the rising obesity rates have encouraged research into the effects of aerobic exercise on mother and fetus.
As a result, bodies such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) have taken a more liberal stance about exercise during pregnancy. 'In the absence of either medical or obstetric complications, 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day on most, if not all, days of the week is recommended for most pregnant women,' the ACOG recommended in a report in January 2002.
Two year earlier, the US Department of Health and Human Services said that the benefits of exercise - such as weight control, mood improvement and decreasing discomfort and fatigue - could also help pregnant women.
