‘Regular physical activity should be a central feature of a healthy lifestyle for all’ |27 March 2015

Professor Andrew Hills is a prominent educator, exercise physiologist and international expert on physical activity and obesity. He has completed numerous research consultancies with the World Health Organisation (WHO), International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He was professor of Energy Metabolism at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) until 2011 when was appointed professor of Allied Health Research, Mater Research Institute – The University of Queensland.

He holds a conjoint professorial appointment at Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University and is an adjunct professor at QUT and Bond University. He is a former co-director of the Australian Technology Network of Universities’ Centre for Metabolic Fitness, an immediate past co-director of the Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN) and a former president of the Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS).  
Professor Hills was recently elected as a council member of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Today we learn more from professor Hills about a fascinating topic that he presented as a side event of the 3rd Biennial National Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).

Q:      Professor Hills, the title of your presentation was ‘Promoting Healthy Choices in Pregnancy for Improved Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes’.  In brief, tell us about your presentation.

A:      The aim of the presentation was to reinforce that pregnancy represents an important ‘window of opportunity’ or ‘teachable moment’ for improvement of eating and activity behaviours, particularly in the overweight and obese. Improvements to diet and physical activity will likely benefit the pregnant woman during her pregnancy and into the post-partum period, as well as contribute to improved neonatal outcomes.

Q:    What kind of exercise would you recommend for a pregnant woman and how far along can she still engage in physical activity?

A:    Regular physical activity should be a central feature of a healthy lifestyle for all, including pregnant women. It is important to distinguish between physical activity and exercise in this context. The physical activity recommendations for a healthy pregnancy should include continuity of habitual activity rather than using pregnancy as an excuse to take it easy! This is completely different to the suggestion that women should be involved in strenuous exercise per se, particularly if they have no history of being active as this could be potentially hazardous for some. Aerobic activity such as walking can be maintained by many women throughout their pregnancy while others may benefit from activity in a weight-supported water environment.

Q:      What are the health benefits of physical activity during pregnancy?  Are there any specific risks of a pregnant woman not doing any exercise during pregnancy?  Is exercise during pregnancy safe for the mother and newborn?

A:    Physical activity is beneficial to health at all ages and stages of life. Maintenance of good physical activity levels in those who are habitually active is critical during pregnancy. Similarly, women who are otherwise healthy but inactive can benefit. Typically, benefits of activity can be grouped as physiological, metabolic and behavioural. For example, regular physical activity is important for heart and lung fitness, reducing the risk of gestational diabetes, and for improved mental health. However, it is critical that common sense prevails in relation to both activity and diet during pregnancy therefore advice from a medical practitioner is very important, particularly for women with existing health conditions.

Q:    Why intervene in pregnancy?

A:    As outlined above, making healthy lifestyle choices during pregnancy may be one of the most important benefits of intervening during pregnancy and minimising unhealthy weight gain. As many women find it challenging to address their own health needs in the post-partum period as they are so busy, intervening during pregnancy can provide the necessary platform for better weight management in the longer-term.

Q:      You participated in a study to determine the impact of overweight or obesity during pregnancy on long-term maternal and child health. Very briefly, tell us about the results of this study.

A:    This cohort study provided numerous interesting results regarding potential health implications of an unhealthy maternal body composition and risk of hospital admission in offspring. In short, children whose mothers were obese had an increased risk of hospital admissions in the first 5 years of life compared to children of normal-weight mothers with a consequent burden on the health system.

Q:     What can an obese woman do to lose weight?

A:    Sensible eating and activity practices are the cornerstones of weight maintenance, minimising unhealthy weight gain and where necessary, weight loss. Changes in activity level, for example an individual moving from being very inactive or sedentary to a higher and more consistent activity level will potentiate health benefits, independent of weight loss. Factors leading to weight gain can be complex and multi-factorial at the individual level. Such factors need to be addressed if a healthier weight is to be achieved in the longer term. Activity is central to long-term success while inappropriate diets can be counterproductive. Sound advice, support and education over time are critical as carrying extra weight is a chronic condition.

Q:    How can women prevent unhealthy weight gain?

A:    Failure to adjust energy intake from food and drink to match energy expenditure from daily physical activity is a trap for many people. This means that everyone, women in this example, need to appreciate and understand the simple energy balance equation where matching food intake with energy expenditure will help to ensure that body weight remains stable. In short, if activity level decreases, as is often the case during pregnancy, the pregnant woman does not need to eat as much as excess energy intake is typically stored as fat. Making the necessary food and activity adjustments based on one’s particular circumstances can be of great benefit in the post-partum period. This will ensure that there is not an incremental creep in weight over time such that a woman enters a subsequent pregnancy without having achieved her desired pre-pregnancy weight. Engagement in enjoyable physical activity is essential!


Institute of the Early Childhood Development in joint collaboration with ECCE Sectors
Special thanks to:  Professor Andrew Hills
March 2015