Getting in better shape can make a healthy pregnant woman even healthier. And a study indicates that low to moderate intensity weight training can help. Patrick O’Connor of the University of Georgia saw this in a study of 32 women who took up weight training.

They did this for 12 weeks, twice a week, starting around their 24th week of pregnancy.

O’Connor says the weights were kept low enough to avoid muscle injuries, and he says women could gain valuable strength that they could use as new moms:

“There’s not a tremendous likelihood of pregnant women getting adverse symptoms, and they increase in their strength.’’

O’Connor says women should talk to their doctors before starting a weight training program.

The study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

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