The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book

by Robin Elise Weiss

Overview

Now you can regain control of your body and prepare for the rigors of childbirth with The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book. Recent studies indicate that exercise during pregnancy can alleviate discomfort, increase energy levels, speed labor, and reduce the risk of complications. The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book walks you through specially tailored exercises for toning and strengthening legs, arms, abdominal muscles, and the lower back-the parts of the body most affected by pregnancy and childbirth. Also included are tips and expert advice for creating a safe fitness plan for each trimester, dealing with the strains of pregnancy, and relieving stress.

The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book shows you how to:

• Assess your exercise needs and abilities
• Exercise safely and avoid injury
• Establish a routine for walking, swimming, yoga, and aerobic activity
• Create a program that enables you to lose weight quickly after your baby is born

The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book provides risk-free workouts to promote good health and well-being before, during, and after delivery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605505084
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	01/01/2004
Series:	Everything® Parenting Guide Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

An Adams Media author.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

Understanding Pregnancy Fitness

The act of keeping healthy during pregnancy has always been a goal. Though fitness during pregnancy is a fairly new concept. Today's active woman is more likely to include fitness as a part of her healthy prenatal routine than ever before. With the guidelines that have cone out as a way to help women maintain their fitness and health during pregnancy to achieve a happy and healthy balance, more women are taking advantage of pregnancy fitness.

History of Pregnancy Fitness

It was not long ago that if you were expecting a baby you were placed on near house arrest. In the delicate condition of being with child, you would not wish to be seen in public, let alone actually doing anything. If you did venture out in public, you did so in garments that were constructed with very tight corsets to hide your expanding abdomen. There was no outlet for physical exertion or exercise.

This was a drastic switch from the pre-industrial revolution days where women continued their daily lives and activities until their babies were born. Then after some recuperation time, they went back to their normal duties fairly quickly. Exercise was out of the question. The exercise pendulum has swung the other way as research study after study has shown that fitness is an important part of pregnancy and the care a woman receives.

As women came out into society with their pregnant abdomens boldly going where none had gone before, women began to wonder if maintaining fitness during pregnancy was really a lost cause. The research began to be done and women slowly changed their thinking about fitness in pregnancy. More women maintained their previous fitness levels in pregnancy and more research was done. The majority of the research showed that fitness in pregnancy was extremely beneficial in nearly every capacity. In 1985 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released their first set of guidelines for pregnancy fitness.

These original fitness guidelines were still quite restrictive, though definitely a step in the right direction. Up until this point, not many studies had been done and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists were erring on the side of caution. As time went by and more studies were completed, the rules for exercise in pregnancy became more lax. Women were able to get out and stay active throughout their pregnancies and the practitioners were seeing that there was no harm being done to the women, their pregnancies, nor their babies.

During the height of the fitness boom of the 1980s pregnant women wanted to take part too. With ACOG's guidelines out they now had something to back them up and women continued to exercise during pregnancy. The guidelines have since been updated numerous times, each time becoming more lenient. The most recent ACOG guidelines were published in January 2002.

When talking to your doctor or midwife about exercise during your pregnancy be sure to ask if they are familiar with the newest guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). This can be a useful learning tool for the both of you.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Understanding Pregnancy Fitness
Chapter 2: When is Exercise Appropriate in Pregnancy?
Chapter 3: Getting Ready to Exercise
Chapter 4: The Kegel Muscle
Chapter 5: Your First Trimester
Chapter 6: Your Second Trimester
Chapter 7: Your Third Trimester
Chapter 8: Tools for Tone
Chapter 9: Exercising Your Arms
Chapter 10: Oh Those Abdominals!
Chapter 11: Lean Legs & Strong Gluts
Chapter 12: Weight Training in Pregnancy
Chapter 13: Walking & Running
Chapter 14: Swimming
Chapter 15: Yoga
Chapter 16: Aerobics
Chapter 17: Relaxation
Chapter 18: Exercise in Special Situations
Chapter 19: Postpartum: The First Few Days
Chapter 20: Finding Your Body After Birth
Chapter 21: Exercising with Baby