During the study, the participants were randomly assigned to either the walking group (41 women) or the stretching group (38 women) during the 18th week of pregnancy. Women in the walking group were asked to exercise for 40 minutes five times a week at moderate intensity, following the program recommended by the Surgeon General and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. At the end of pregnancy, the researchers observed that about 15 per cent of women in the walking group had developed preeclampsia, while less than five per cent of women in the stretching group developed the condition. Yeo pointed out that the incidence of preeclampsia in the walking group was similar to that reported in high-risk pregnancies, while the frequency among the stretching group was similar to rates seen among the general population. read more

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