What the new findings suggest
Pregnant women may be able to lower their risk of blood pressure related complications by reducing how long they sit each day and increasing light, everyday movement, according to new preliminary research presented in March 2026.
The study tracked nearly 500 pregnant women across three US cities and measured their full 24 hour movement patterns for a week during each trimester. Researchers found that sedentary time and light physical activity were the strongest predictors of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
What the study measured
Participants wore two monitors for 24 hours across seven consecutive days in each trimester. One device tracked time spent lying down, sitting, standing and walking. A second device measured sleep duration. Researchers then linked these movement patterns to medical record diagnoses of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy through six weeks postpartum.
Key results
Among 470 participants, 18.6% developed a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.
The lowest risk pattern included roughly six hours of sitting, close to eight hours of light physical activity, a small amount of higher intensity activity, and about 10 hours of rest time. This pattern was associated with an estimated 8% chance of developing a hypertensive disorder, compared with about 16.9% in a more typical daily pattern measured in the cohort.
Risk rose notably among those sitting more than 10 hours per day, or completing fewer than five hours of light activity per day.
Why light movement may matter more than expected
The findings point toward the daylong balance of sitting and light movement as a practical target. Rather than focusing only on structured exercise sessions, the results suggest that frequent, low intensity movement across the day and avoiding long periods of sitting may be especially relevant to pregnancy blood pressure outcomes.
Researchers emphasized that this does not mean exercise is unhelpful. Instead, the data suggests that everyday movement patterns may play a larger role in hypertensive risk during pregnancy than previously understood.
Important context and limitations
These results are preliminary and come from a research abstract, meaning they have not yet been peer reviewed as a full journal publication.
The participants were predominantly non Hispanic white and tended to have higher education and income levels, which may limit how well the findings apply to broader populations. Researchers also could not analyze preeclampsia and gestational hypertension separately due to the number of cases, and those conditions may relate differently to activity and sleep.
What comes next
Researchers say future studies should test whether interventions that help pregnant women sit less and move more throughout the day can causally reduce hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. If confirmed, the work could inform clearer, more achievable guidance on daily sitting time and light activity during pregnancy.
