A study recently publishing in the journal “JAMA Internal Medicine” found that by increasing physical activity, people can lower the risk of gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is commonly known as a complication of pregnancy, according to Medical News Today. It is proven that one third of the women that are of reproductive age with type 2 diabetes also suffer from gestational diabetes when they become pregnant.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the study found that women who had gestational diabetes when pregnant, but upped their exercise to around 20 minutes a day after giving birth had half of the long term diabetes that some women encounter.
Researchers found that with every increase of 100 minutes per week of moderate exercise the chance of Type 2 diabetes is lowered by 9 percent. Those who participated in the weekly recommended 150 minutes per week had a 47 percent lower risk.
Activities like watching TV, or more so the life it implies, raises the risk for Type 2 diabetes. “Tv watchers” are more likely to stay sedentary and snack more often.
Further studies are needed as most of the women studied were white and living in the U.S. The ultimate goal of these studies is to find out how lifestyle, medicine and genetics all come together and how they influence the risk of gestational diabetes.

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