Close Banner

Women's Health

New Research From 38K Mothers Reveals A Surprising Benefit Of Exercise

Author: Ava Durgin

March 22, 2026

Assistant Health Editor

By Ava Durgin

Assistant Health Editor

Ava Durgin is the former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She holds a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology from Duke University.

Image by monkeybusinessimages / iStock

March 22, 2026

If you’re thinking about pregnancy, or even just your long-term health, exercise is usually framed as something that benefits you: better mood, improved energy, stronger cardiovascular health.

But what if your movement habits today could influence someone else’s future, too?

And while prenatal exercise is often recommended for supporting a healthy pregnancy, scientists are starting to look more closely at how it may influence a child’s development after they’re born, especially in those early, fast-moving months when the brain is rapidly wiring itself.

A new large-scale study1 takes a closer look at that connection, following thousands of mothers and their children over several years.

Exercise & early childhood development

This study1, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from more than 38,000 mother-child pairs as part of a nationwide birth cohort in Japan.

Researchers assessed how physically active the mothers were both before pregnancy and during midpregnancy using a standardized questionnaire that captures everything from daily movement to structured exercise.

Then, they followed the children from infancy through age 3, checking in at regular intervals to evaluate development. They used a widely accepted screening tool that looks at five key areas: communication, gross motor skills (like crawling or walking), fine motor skills (like grasping objects), problem-solving, and social behavior.

Instead of focusing on a single moment in time, the study tracked patterns, looking at how maternal activity at different stages might connect to developmental milestones as children grow.

The link between maternal exercise & early brain development

The most consistent pattern showed up early.

Higher levels of physical activity, both before pregnancy and during pregnancy, were associated with more favorable developmental outcomes at around 6 months of age. The strongest links were seen in motor skills and problem-solving abilities, which are foundational for how babies interact with the world.

In practical terms, this could look like earlier or more coordinated movement, stronger physical control, or more engagement with their surroundings.

Interestingly, prepregnancy activity also appeared to have more lasting effects. Children whose mothers were more active before pregnancy had slightly better problem-solving skills at age 3, even after other factors were accounted for.

By that point, though, most of the other associations had faded. That’s an important nuance. Early development is influenced by many factors, and as children grow, their environment (things like home life, sleep, and social interaction) starts to play a larger role.

So this isn’t about locking in outcomes before a baby is even born. It’s more about giving them a strong starting point.

What to know (even if pregnancy isn’t on your radar)

One of the most useful takeaways here is that timing isn’t as narrow as we once thought.

We tend to focus on pregnancy as the critical window, but this study suggests that what happens before pregnancy may matter just as much. Baseline fitness, movement habits, and overall health don’t suddenly reset once you conceive; they carry forward.

That doesn’t mean you need an intense workout routine. The benefits observed in the study were linked to overall physical activity, not extreme training. Here are a few ways to think about applying this:

- Focus on consistency over intensity. Regular movement, such as walking, strength training, cycling, and even active daily routines like cleaning, can all contribute.

- Build habits before you need them. If pregnancy is something you’re considering in the future, your current lifestyle is part of that foundation.

- Keep movement going during pregnancy (when appropriate). For those without complications, moderate exercise is generally considered safe and beneficial. Of course, this is always something to discuss with a healthcare provider.

- Remember the bigger picture. Movement does more than support fitness. It improves circulation, helps regulate inflammation, and creates an internal environment that can support healthy fetal development.

The takeaway

Early brain development is complex, and no single factor determines how it unfolds. But studies like this highlight how foundational habits can quietly contribute to that process.

If anything, it reframes exercise as less about optimization and more about support, creating conditions that help both you and, potentially, your future child thrive. And that’s a perspective that tends to make the habit feel a