Exercise in Pregnancy: Weighing Up the Long-Term Impact on the Next Generation

HOPKINS, S. A. and W. S. CUTFIELD. Exercise in pregnancy: weighing up the long-term impact on the next generation. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev., Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 120-127, 2011. There is now a large body of evidence demonstrating the influence of the in utero environment on postnatal growth. Regular aerobic exercise during pregnancy elicits maternal and fetal adaptations that seem specific to the period of gestation in which training is initiated and maintained. This review considers the evidence for both positive and negative long-term health outcomes for offspring.