Scientists have found a way to counteract the risk of diabetes in women who develop the disease during pregnancy. Although gestational diabetes often disappears after the baby is born, women who have elevated blood sugars during pregnancy are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes over the next several years.
A new study shows that exercising an additional 20 minutes daily after delivery cuts that risk in half. The study examined data on 4554 women over 16 years. All of the women had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during their pregnancies. 635 of them developed type 2 diabetes later.
The researchers used data on television watching time and exercise to discover that 19 percent of the least active women developed diabetes compared to just 9 percent of the most active. Those who increased their activity by 150 minutes a week had just 50 percent the risk of those who didn’t start moving more after pregnancy. Watching television was associated with a 40 percent higher risk of diabetes.
Fitting more exercise into a day can be challenging for a new mother, but these data suggest it pays off in the long run.
