For some women, pregnancy is not when exercise is a top priority. Maybe it should be. University of Iowa researchers monitored physical activity from nearly five hundred pregnant women. The study suggests less sedentary time, light to moderate physical activity daily and nearly nine hours of sleep each night reduced by nearly thirty percent the risk of hypertension and preeclampsia—key health risks during pregnancy. Sedentary behavior is defined as being mostly inactive, such as sitting or lying down. Light physical activity includes a casual walk, moving around the home or simply standing. Authors of a pair of studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and JAMA say the mix of healthy behaviors during pregnancy may also reduce heart disease risk later in life.