Lacking motivation to exercise? Have a baby!

According to a new Canadian study, women who exercise during pregnancy give birth to babies with higher levels of brain activity, The Daily News reported. The finding indicates that exercise leads to increased brain development in the womb, the study's co-authors said.

Researchers claim it as the first study showing a link between exercise and human brain development. Previous studies have proven how exercise leads to overall health benefits (both for the mother and the baby) and how exercise can impact fetal brain development in animals, The Daily News reported.

Using 18 pregnant women as test subjects, researchers found that just 20 minutes of physical activity per day, such as walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling, three times per week was enough to create a more neurologically developed child.

To test brain activity, researchers placed soft electrodes -- connected to an EEG machine -- on the head of sleeping infants 8 to 12 days old. They then measured auditory memory by playing new and common sounds the baby would have heard while in the womb, and recording how the unconscious brain of the young child responded.

"Our results show that the babies born from the mothers who were physically active have a more mature cerebral activation, suggesting that their brains developed more rapidly," said researcher Elise Labonte-LeMoyne, a Ph.D. candidate in kinesiology.

Lead researcher Professor Dave Ellemberg hopes this will further motivate pregnant women to exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, women who exercise before giving birth boost their mood, ease/prevent back pain, sleep better, increase stamina and strength, reduce the risk of having an above average baby, and more. Women should first get approval from their doctors, as per the Mayo Clinic's website.

"Most of all, we are optimistic that this will encourage women to change their health habits, given that the simple act of exercising during pregnancy could make a difference for their child's future," Ellemberg said.

"While being sedentary increases the risks of suffering complications during pregnancy, being active can ease post-partum recovery, make pregnancy more comfortable and reduce the risk of obesity in the children," said Professor Daniel Curnier, who also contributed to the research.