Western’s Exercise and Pregnancy Lab to celebrate 20 years of healthy moms and babies

Western University’s R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation Exercise and Pregnancy Lab is celebrating 20 years of research success and excellence.

To celebrate the milestone, the Exercise and Pregnancy Lab will host a special event on Mother’s Day weekend for past research participants (and their ‘babies’) to come together for some fun, family-friendly activities and learn about new and historic findings from their research studies.

Research highlights from the past 20 years include:

1. The Canadian guidelines (2015) for Exercise During Pregnancy (PARmed-X for Pregnancy) is evidence-based from women in London, Ontario

2. Eating healthy (not eating for two but eating twice as healthy) and exercising during pregnancy prevents excessive pregnancy weight gain, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertension in the mother

3. Walking during pregnancy combined with controlling carbohydrate intake helps prevent GDM, especially in First Nations women, and minimizes insulin therapy in women already diagnosed with GDM

4. The Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP) was selected for the Canadian Best Practice Portal by the Public Health Agency of Canada

5. Preventing excessive weight gain during pregnancy prevents childhood obesity

Since April 1996, more than 400 pregnant women have participated in various research studies in the lab, under the supervision of Michelle Mottola. Currently, the Exercise and Pregnancy Lab is the only research laboratory in North America actively investigating metabolic changes in exercising pregnant and postpartum women.

The anniversary event is scheduled for Saturday, May 7 from 9 to 11:15 a.m. in Thames Hall Gym and Somerville House, Room 3345.

Event Schedule

9:00 a.m. Guests arrive and register in Thames Hall Gym
9:15 a.m. Interested participants travel to Somerville House, Room 3345 for presentations
9:15 a.m. Children stay in Thames Hall Gym for fun activities with student volunteers
9:20 a.m. Opening remarks from Western Health Sciences Dean Jayne Garland
9:25 a.m. Remarks and presentation of research findings from Michelle Mottola
10:20 a.m. Closing remarks from Michelle Mottola
10:25 a.m. Travel back to Thames Hall Gym
10:30 a.m. Group Zumba session
11:00 a.m. Door prizes
11:15 a.m. Event ends

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Renaud, Senior Media Relations Officer, 519-661-2111, ext. 85165, jrenaud9@uwo.ca, @jeffrenaud99

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