Pregnancy Fitness: Mind Body Spirit

by Fitness Magazine, Ginny Graves

Pregnancy Fitness , by the experts at Fitness Magazine, provides expectant mothers with all the information they need to exercise safely and effectively throughout their pregnancy.

Whether you're a hard-core triathlete or just starting a fitness program for the first time, proper exercise can ensure a healthier pregnancy, an easier delivery, and a faster recovery. Pregnancy Fitness guides you carefully through every trimester, covering the physical changes and common complaints for each one, from shortness of breath to dizziness to morning sickness. In each section, chapters on Cardiovascular Fitness and Getting Stronger help you develop the aerobic capacity and muscles to carry your growing child with greater comfort and prepare you for labor. Illustrated exercises show you how to enhance flexibility, build strength, and relieve pain as your pregnancy progresses.

Q&As throughout the book cover specific Can I continue running in the second trimester? Can I lift more than ten pounds? And How to Cope sidebars address common conditions from swollen joints and sleep problems to cravings and gestational diabetes.

Based on the latest medical research and designed for women of every fitness level, Pregnancy Fitness is the ideal and essential exercise resource for every mother-to-be.

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 1999

Reviews

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book helped remind me, as an early second trimester woman, that I should resign myself to the fate of water aerobics with grandmas a few months from now. Last pregnancy I swore I would be one of those girls who worked out hard until the day my baby was born, assuming I could keep it up as long as I never quit. Sort of like the theory that if you pick a baby calf up every single day and walk around with it over your head, you'll be able to hold a bull over your head by the next summer. Except I always forget the important difference with pregnancy - you don't slowly get weaker, a day at a time. You get pregnant and are half dead, from day one. So... I probably won't make it to that level of gym super stardom. But I do plan to work out through all of this pregnancy again. I'll remember not to feel like such a bum when I am too achy and waddly to do my regular workouts.

On the other hand, this book was just like most other pregnancy exercising advice out there - way, way, way too conservative. It suggests working out three times a week for 20-30 minutes, maybe walking or leisurely swimming. If you normally spend an hour or two (or more) a day at the gym, that's just dumb. It has sections for advice if you are a more experienced exerciser, but it's still way, way tame. Here is a quote from page 3: "No matter what your prepregnancy fitness level, it's best to work at a moderate pace, because exercise that gets your heart rate above 150 beats per minute could cause your baby's heart rate to slow. Although this has never caused any actual damage as far as scientists can tell, why risk it?"

Okay. That is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. There is no evidence that working out with a heart rate above 150 bpm will in any way hurt your baby. There's lots of evidence that working out at or below this level will turn you into a big couch potato. Book conclusion? Be a couch potato. No way. I am a firm believer that your body will slow you down way before your baby is in any danger. Your baby comes first in everything else. Your body sucks the calcium out of your bones to make sure the baby gets enough, with no concern to your well being. Would it really cut off oxygen to your baby so that you could keep up your workout? No way. It would keep everything going just fine for the baby and make you pass out. Think of pioneer women, cave women, women throughout all ages - they did hard labor all the time! They had no need for gyms because their life was exercise. Our bodies are meant to move and work hard, even when pregnant. That is my non medically qualified opinion. The end.

[Kirstie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this when I was beginning to experience low back pain midway throughout my pregnancy. I did find the book contains some useful modifications for an exercises, as well as a couple of good exercises targeting the back.

The real problem I have with this book is how conservative it is in terms of the suggested fitness regimens, even those for women who were at an an "advanced" level of fitness, pre-pregnancy. I wouldn't feel their suggested programs were nearly challenging enough to keep me in good shape. Their suggestions for returning to certain forms of exercise postpartum also seem insanely conservative. Wait 4-6 months for soccer, tennis, or cross country skiing? Seriously? This is all justified by waiting for your joints to become stable again, but that seems an inordinate amount of time.

Some other issues I have are more technical. I one place, they describe a movement as "flexing" a joint, where you are really doing the opposite, extending the joint. They suggest stretching out the rhomboid and trapezius when experiencing tension from breast feeding and lifting the baby, but these areas really need to be strengthened instead, because child care postural changes lead to rounding/over stretching of these muscles. They also describe a stretch for the biceps, which is really a wrist and forearm flexor stretch.

I've yet to find a really good book on pregnancy fitness. I'd love to see one that is more challenging and includes some great weightlifting protocols, beyond "Barbie" dumbells.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was such a first trimester impulse buy... I'm doing my best to stay fit but I'm so not lifting weights.