Here’s another indicator of the potential benefits of exercise during pregnancy: Researchers at Baylor University have found that female mice that run are more likely to produce active offspring.

While further study is needed to confirm the effect in humans, researchers said their study is the first to show that exercise before and during pregnancy influences the activity level of offspring. The findings were published recently in the FASEB [FASS-eb] journal.

The researchers studied pregnant mice who seemed to enjoy exercising — determined by letting them run at will up to 10 kilometers a day — and evaluated the activities of their babies.

They separated the mice into two groups: one group was allowed to run to their heart’s content, while the others had their wheels locked. The data showed that the active mice had babies that were 50 percent more active than those born to the non-running mice. Researchers said the results, if replicated in humans, could be an effective remedy for inactivity and obesity.

In humans, other research has already found that activity is in fact good for both moms and babies — with a doctor’s approval and in moderation, of course. Exercises that can cause a fall or abdominal injury, such as contact sports or intense weightlifting, should be avoided. But moderate exercise can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, ease back pain, improve sleep, keep weight in check, and boost mood and energy levels. It could even lower the risk of your baby being born too big as well as the likelihood of postpartum depression.

So if you’re into exercising, don’t stop just because you’ve got a baby bump.

###