title: Exercise during pregnancy improves maternal health perception: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have studied the effect of moderate physical activity that is performed by healthy women during their entire pregnancy on their perception of health status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty sedentary women were assigned randomly to either an exercise group (n = 40) or a control group (n = 40). Maternal perception of health status and several pregnancy outcomes were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences (P = .03) were found between study groups in the percentage of women who perceived their health status as "very good"; the values that corresponded to the exercise group (n = 18; 54.5%) were better than those of the control group (n = 9; 27.3%). In addition, the women of the exercise group gained less weight (11,885 ± 3146 g) than those of the control group (13,903 ± 2113; P = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A moderate physical activity program that is performed over the first, second, and third trimester of pregnancy improves the maternal perception of health status.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte - INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barakat
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pelaez
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montejo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luaces
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zakynthinaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D016387:Women's Health