I found an interesting story about baby health, which I wanted to share with you.

This new research shows that babies whose mothers do aerobic exercise during pregnancy may have healthier hearts! The researchers believe that ‘womb workouts’ have health benefits that continue into adulthood, lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension. The reasoning is that the heart is a muscle which, like other muscles, becomes stronger through conditioning. And if it is stronger, the heart puts less effort into pumping the same amount of blood.

Now obviously we always talk on this blog and on www.allclear4you.co.uk about ways to live a healthier lifestyle, but it is incredible to think that ways to improve your cardiovascular health can start before you are even born! I mean we are aware of the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol while you are pregnant for the unborn baby, but benefits of exercise for the baby (not just the mother) is a new area.

This research was based on 60 healthy pregnant women, aged 21-35. Half the women exercised and half did not. Exactly how maternal exercise shapes the foetal heart is not clear. One theory is that the development of the foetus nervous system is boosted by exposure to maternal hormones released during exercise.

But whatever the mechanism, it is fascinating to think that preventative medicine could start in the womb. Something to think about…