The Effects of Exercise During Pregnancy: Theories, Evidence, and Interventions

Physical activities provide women a way to improve their health and intervene in disease processes during pregnancy. This chapter briefly describes pathophysiological models and then examines current research on the effects of physical activity on prevention and treatment of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. The chapter then reviews cognitive behavioral theories and current literature on the effects of behavioral interventions on physical activity in pregnancy. The literature helps to explain the pathophysiological mechanisms through which physical activity mediates disease processes and the behavioral interventions through which physical activity can be introduced and sustained during pregnancy. Throughout the chapter, both pathophysiological models and behavioral theories are viewed as part of a socioecologic model that encompasses pregnancy and physical activity.