Introduction:

physical exercise is a good way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and its regular practice is recommended during the gestational period, favoring, among others, an adequate weight gain during pregnancy and a better recovery of pre-pregnancy weight.

Objective:

to analyze the evolution of weight, gestational and postpartum, in pregnant women who perform a program of moderate physical exercise in the aquatic environment.

Material and methods:

an intervention was carried out through a program of aquatic physical exercise designed specifically for pregnant women. The participants were randomly assigned to the exercise group (EG; n = 65) or to the control group (CG; n = 64). Participants in the EG performed three sessions per week of physical exercises, which were led by the principal investigator. CG participants received routine prenatal care. Maternal weight was measured during pregnancy at weeks 20 and 35, and postpartum at weeks 16 and 28 of the same.

Results:

weight gain during pregnancy shows significant differences between groups (p < 0.001). Weight retention at four months and at seven months were significant between EG and GC (p < 0.001). The weight of the newborn remained in the range of normal weight for term newborns in both groups, although with significant differences (p = 0.011).

Conclusion:

the Study of Water Exercise Pregnancy (SWEP) methodology during pregnancy helps control the gain of gestational weight and the recovery of pre-pregnancy weight.

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