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| Fitness for the trimesters of pregnancy and those that follow! Exercise is good for everyone, especially if you’re a mom (even a pregnant one)! You can workout your entire pregnancy and thereafter. This article will share tips to take you through the 9 months of your pregnancy and the 9 months following childbirth. Prenatal Exercise The most recent research shows that exercise is beneficial for mom and baby during pregnancy. So long as there are no contraindications (ask your doctor), you should be able to workout throughout your pregnancy. The purpose of exercise changes at this time of your life. Instead of working out to tighten up, you workout to loosen up (for childbirth). Exercise should be stress relieving, not stress producing. The exercises you choose should get you’re your heart pumping, stretch your body and help you manage weight gain. It will prepare you for the “marathon” of labor and delivery. The most important thing is to listen to your body. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Your pregnancy and labor will be much easier if you’re fit. Popular modes of exercise during pregnancy include walking, water workouts and prenatal yoga classes. If you have already been working out, you can probably continue your current routine. If you are new to working out, you just need to start slow and gentle. Modifications During Pregnancy |
| • Watch your intensity during pregnancy. This is not the time to “go for the burn”. A good indicator is a talk test. If you can talk through your exercise, you’re probably at an appropriate intensity. If it feels too difficult to talk, you’re working too hard. This is not the time to work until exhaustion. • Be careful of physical sports that could knock you off balance such as skating or skiing and of sports that could risk physical trauma such as hockey or rock climbing. • Do not become overheated. Your baby does not have a way to cool himself. Wear light clothing and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Warning Signs – Please stop exercising if you experience the following and see your doctor. Excessive Fatigue Dizziness Shortness of breath Feeling Faint Vaginal Bleeding Contractions Unusual absence of fetal movement The 9 Months After Baby 70% of moms are unsatisfied with their bodies even 9 months after giving birth. Even those lucky few who do take off their pregnancy weight don’t necessarily regain their same body composition. No matter how fit you are throughout your pregnancy, you’ll need special “training” for your new role as a mother. Pregnancy and childbirth can wreak great challenges on your body; all which are reparable with a sound exercise program. Very soon after childbirth, most doctors say new moms can start out with a program of gentle stretching, slow walking, abdominal contractions and Kegel exercises. Your body is a good barometer and will tell you when you’re doing too much through increased vaginal bleeding. If that happens, it’s time to rest and relax some more. Build back to a fitness program very slowly. Most doctors will recommend that you wait 6 weeks after childbirth to begin a formal exercise program. The nice thing is that you don’t have to leave your baby to get in your workout! Front Pack Carrier Workout A must have for every new mom is a front pack carrier. These handy holders let mom carry baby around and keep her arms free. Baby loves the motion and being close to mom and she loves the freedom. What moms might not realize is that same carrier can also be a great workout. Because baby’s weight is evenly distributed, it adds a functional “weight” to the workout. The only downside we can find with a front pack carrier is that it can wreak havoc on your posture. New moms already suffer from posture problems aggravated from feeding, picking up baby, car seats and more. The best way to use a baby carrier is to focus on stretching the chest area and strengthening the upper back. When wearing the carrier, regularly contract your shoulder blades, bringing them together as if you were squeezing a pencil. Keep shoulders down and back, and neck long and relaxed. Exercises you can do with a front pack carrier include lunges, plie squats and wall sits. Obviously, baby’s safety is first! Stroller Workout Every new mom has some type of stroller. Not only is it a great mode of transportation, it makes a great workout! You can get a great cardiovascular workout while walking or running with your stroller. And, you can get a great strength workout by doing lunges or squats with the stroller. Pushing a stroller incorrectly is a sure way to sabotage your posture and to wind up with an injury. Take an inventory of your body from head to toe. Here are some Stroller Strides tips… 1) Walk with good posture at all times. 2) Keep shoulders low and pulled back. 3) Lead with your chest. Imagine that you had a string attached at your sternum (the bone between your breasts) and it was pulling you forward. 4) Hold in your abs, not your breath. 5) Keep a soft bend in your arms and keep wrists in neutral alignment. 5) Stroller Stride. When walking, feet and knees should be facing forward. You can do long, powerful strides and/or short, quick strides. Work at an intensity where you are a little out of breath, but not so out of breath that you cannot talk during your workout. Conclusion What we won’t do for ourselves, we will most likely do for our children. Taking care of yourself is a gift for your children from the time they are within you. They benefit from your health, your energy and you as a role model. |
| About the author Lisa Druxman is the owner and founder of Stroller Strides, the country’s largest and fastest growing fitness program for new moms. For more information on Stroller Strides, go to www.strollerstrides.com, or call 866-348-4666. |
| PARENTING PAGE ARTICLE: Working Out for 9 & 9 By Lisa Druxman, M.A. |