For healthy pregnant women with a normal weight, doing structured exercise or getting motivational counseling doesn't seem to change their chances of getting gestational diabetes, high blood pressure during pregnancy, having a baby too early, or the baby's weight at birth.

For healthy pregnant women who aren't very active, doing structured exercise three times a week plus some coaching about staying active doesn't seem to help them gain less weight by the time they give birth, compared to just getting regular prenatal care.

If a pregnant woman gets at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, she’s less likely to develop gestational diabetes, high blood pressure during pregnancy, or pre-eclampsia.

Doing exercise during pregnancy doesn't seem to lower the chances of needing a C-section, forceps, or heavy bleeding after birth, at least for healthy pregnant women with a normal weight.

Being active during pregnancy is generally safe and helps most women feel better, stay fit, manage their weight, lower their chance of getting gestational diabetes (especially if they're overweight), and feel less stressed — so doctors often recommend it for healthy pregnancies.

If pregnant women who are at moderate risk for high blood pressure do more physical activity each week, their babies tend to be born later and weigh more at birth, which might help the baby grow healthier without becoming too big.