The cardiovascular benefits of regular
exercise include increased HDL levels (good cholesterol) and
lower blood pressure. Regular exercise reduces the risk of
colon cancer. In addition to reducing the risk for diabetes,
regular exercise reduces the mortality rate more than four-fold,
from 40 per 10,000 woman-years in relatively inactive women
to 9 per 10,000 woman-years in the women who are most active.
Exercise also is associated improved mental performance, concentration,
self-esteem, self-confidence, sleep quality and mood.
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how regular exercise has found to benefit these groups of
women:
High school and college age students who participate in
sanctioned sports activities have lower rates of pregnancy,
drug abuse, and depression; female student athletes also
have higher self-esteem scores and are more likely to graduate
from high school than non-athlete peers. Young women who
exercise regularly may benefit from an amelioration of symptoms
related to the menstrual cycle, including a decrease in pain,
anxiety, fatigue, and depression.
Pregnant women who exercise regularly generally can continue
their habits during an uncomplicated pregnancy, with the
bonus of specific additional benefits, including improved
exercise potential (measured as a 10% increase in maximal
oxygen consumption during the third trimester). Subjectively,
women who exercise during pregnancy report improved pain
tolerance, a shorter post-partum recovery, and a better self-image.
In a study of exercise during pregnancy, active women have
shown 25% lower total weight gain and less than half the
fat mass gain of sedentary control subjects. However, exercise
during pregnancy has not proven to shorten labor or increase
the likelihood of vaginal delivery.
These benefits of exercise during pregnancy accumulate without
any clinically significant associated maternal or fetal risk.
Moderate exercise may acutely increase the frequency of uterine
contractions in women with term pregnancies, however exercise
during pregnancy does not increase the risk for miscarriage,
preterm labor, or premature rupture of membranes. Lack of
exercise may increase the risk for pregnancy complications.
Five-year follow-up after pregnancies including maternal
exercise also shows no negative impact on neonatal mental
or psychomotor development.
Menopausal and post-menopausal
women who exercise tend to
experience a reduction in the number of falls, improved mental
health, reduced cardiovascular disease, improved glucose
tolerance, and reduced painful symptoms of arthritis. Physical
activity is necessary for maintaining normal skeletal development,
muscle strength, and joint structure and function. However,
it remains unclear whether physical activity can reduce the
rate of bone loss in postmenopausal women in the absence
of estrogen replacement therapy.
Excerpted from Steven R.
Allen, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Scott &White Memorial Hospital and Clinic,
2401 S 31st St, Temple, TX 76508 South Med J 94(12):1143-1144,
2001. © 2001 Southern Medical Association |
