Engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of preterm birth in women diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GD), according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

The study, led by Wanglong Gou, Ph.D., from Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine in China, examined data from 1,427 women with GD. Participants wore accelerometers to track their physical activity levels, enabling researchers to analyze activity patterns and their association with preterm birth risk.

The findings revealed an inverse relationship between MVPA and preterm birth. For every 30-minute increase in MVPA per day, the odds of preterm birth dropped by 36 percent (odds ratio: 0.64). Additionally, the fraction of physical activity energy expenditure derived from MVPA was linked to a 31 percent reduction in preterm birth risk (odds ratio: 0.69).

The protective benefits of MVPA increased progressively with longer daily durations, plateauing at 74 minutes of MVPA per day. Importantly, the study found that the pattern of MVPA—whether concentrated over a few days or spread evenly across the week—did not significantly alter the benefits.

“These findings provide key evidence for the health benefits of MVPA during pregnancy and lay the foundation for establishing physical activity guidelines for pregnant women with GD,” the authors concluded.

The study underscores the importance of integrating regular physical activity into prenatal care recommendations, particularly for women managing gestational diabetes, to improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce the risk of complications.