NEW guidelines – urging that mums-to-be should take 30 minutes of daily exercise – are music to the ears of local health experts who have been making the point for years.

Midwife Debbie Howells, who launched BabyfitUK, exercise classes for pregnant women nearly seven years ago, has just completed her own audit to evaluate the health benefits of the programme.

“There have been some small-scale studies looking at exercise in pregnancy but most of them are over 10 years old so I decided to collect information as ongoing evidence of the positive benefits.

“The overwhelming majority reported that it had helped them in all aspects, not just throughout their pregnancy but right through to labour, birth and post-natal recovery.

“Benefits range from improved strength, stamina and flexibility to quicker recovery from caesarean section, more energy, better sleep patterns as well as all the social benefits of being part of a group too.”

Debbie’s research follows latest statistics released last month, which show that nearly half of expectant mums are overweight or obese, putting themselves at risk of potentially fatal conditions such as blood clots, pre-eclampsia, miscarriages and stillbirths.

But Debbie, who runs classes throughout Bournemouth and Poole, adds that it’s important to continue with exercise after the birth.

“It can be hard when you are tired and coping with the demands of a new baby and it is important not to do anything too high-impact too soon as joints, ligaments and pelvic floor can still be weak from pregnancy and birth.”

Louise O’Connell, fitness expert and local Pushy Mothers instructor, says it’s best to start with low- impact activities.

“Many mums think they should stay away from exercise for weeks after the birth but for most new mums, it’s fine to start thinking about gentle exercise straight away, as long as you do things right.

“Pushy Mums has created a step-by-step guide of specific exercises that are achievable which new mums should try to do as early as possible.”

  • Classes run throughout the year. For more advice about appropriate exercise and information about the classes visit the website pushymothers. com or babyfituk.co.uk.