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The American College Of Sports Medicine

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The American College of Sports Medicine defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles that result in a substantial increase in caloric requirements over resting energy expenditure. During all stages of life, physical activity (PA) helps to reduce the risk of obesity and associated comorbities, improve cardio respiratory fitness, and increase the chance of living longer (Committee Opinion, 2015, p. 1326).
Pregnancy is a time of social, psychological, behavioral, and biological changes. Many of these changes have been associated with sedentary behaviors and/or low levels of PA. According to Downs et al, because of these low levels of PA, there has been an increase in the risk for gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy induced hypertension (high blood pressure), and high gestational weight gain. There has also been in increase in the long term risk for overweight/obesity development, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. “Recent epidemiological data based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicates that only 15% of pregnant women meet the minimum national recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity PA per week” (Downs et al, 2012, p. 2).
There has been abundance of research in the past few years to help determine the benefits and risks of physical activity during a woman’s pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that many studies have shown

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