THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY

Abstract

The importance of practicing physical exercises during the gestational period is well known, where several benefits are offered to the health of the pregnant woman, thus preventing many discomforts during this process. The gestational period lasts about 40 weeks, with many physiological, anatomical and biochemical changes occurring in the woman's body. During this time, physical exercise has been well used as a cost- effective strategy seeking to improve physical fitness and, therefore, the health of pregnant women. Through an integrative literature review, a brief study was carried out in several journals from 2013 to 2023 in the following databases: Scielo (VHL) Biblioteca Virtual emSaúde, PubMed to identify studies that prove the importance of physical exercise in the period gestational. Several studies report the importance of exercise for the health of the mother and fetus, due to the reduction in discomfort caused by physiological and physical changes through functional changes due to the increase in weight of pregnant women.