Pre-pregnancy muscle exercise lowers risk of gestational diabetes by 54%

Jul 01, 2025

Pre-pregnancy muscle exercise lowers risk of gestational diabetes by 54%
Data source=Ansplash



A team led by Ryu Hyun-mi, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Bundang Cha Women's Hospital (Director Kim Young-tak) at Cha Medical University, announced a study that pre-pregnancy muscle strengthening exercises lower the risk of developing gestational diabetes. The study was recently published in the international journal Diabetes & Metabolism Journal (IF=6.3).

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a complex metabolic disease that goes beyond simple blood sugar rise and is a common pregnancy complication affecting about 14% of pregnant women worldwide. Failure to take proper care can result in short-term and long-term health risks for both the mother and fetus. Major risk factors include overweight or obese, elderly pregnancy, family history of diabetes, past history of gestational diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome, most of which are difficult to change easily. On the other hand, physical activity is attracting attention as a factor that can be controlled through lifestyle improvement.

Professor Ryu Hyun-mi's team analyzed physical activity patterns at a total of five points from pre-pregnancy to postpartum through a prospective cohort study of 3,457 Korean pregnant women. As a result, women who exercised strength more than twice a week before pregnancy had a 54% lower risk of developing gestational diabetes. This preventive effect was consistent regardless of maternal age or pre-pregnancy body mass index.




Professor Ryu Hyun-mi of the obstetrics and gynecology department at Bundang Cha Women's Hospital said "Pre-pregnancy muscle exercise is more effective in preventing gestational diabetes than during pregnancy or postpartum " It is important to make regular muscle exercise a daily routine from the time you plan to conceive " "If Asian women, including South Korea, tend to significantly reduce their early pregnancy activity, and there are no specific problems during pregnancy, including early pregnancy, physical activity during pregnancy is very important for maternal and fetal health, and can prevent multiple health problems and help smooth childbirth," he added.

This study is a large-scale prospective study of Korean pregnant women and is expected to be used as a basis for establishing public health strategies to prevent gestational diabetes.

Pre-pregnancy muscle exercise lowers risk of gestational diabetes by 54%
류현미 교수


This article was translated by Naver AI translator.