Central Texas women thinking about getting pregnant usually want to be in the best physical condition of their lives to give their newborns the healthiest possible start. Often that means taking prenatal vitamins, quitting smoking, cutting back on caffeine and eating healthy. But for many, preparations may not include working out, even though it should. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends exercise at least three times a week for healthy women to help prepare for labor and childbirth and after your baby is born to help you get back in shape.

Personal trainer Tatum Rebelle of Total Mommy Fitness specializes in working with women before, during and after pregnancy. Working as a personal trainer in a gym setting, she noticed that many women who had been diligent about their fitness programs suddenly disappeared. "I discovered many women who became pregnant were afraid that continuing to work out, especially at a high level, would not be safe for their babies," says Tatum.

"In reality, the better shape you are in before and during pregnancy, the easier your delivery usually will be and the quicker you will recover after the baby is born," believes Tatum. "As a general rule, it's safe for most women to maintain their current fitness level."

Good Exercise Choices

"Listen to your body," reminds Tatum. "Work out at a level where you are comfortable. I'm often surprised how much of my job is telling women when to back off from over training." When working with clients, she tailors their workouts to their current level of fitness and makes modifications along the way to account for changes in body shape and center of gravity. Some exercises she recommends include:

• Walking/running. One of the best exercises, geared to a woman's fitness level before pregnancy, can be stepped up or down as needed.
  
  
• Swimming. Reduces impact on joints and provides buoyancy for a pregnant body.
  
  
• Strength training. Tatum teaches exercises that use the body for resistance and do not have to be performed in a gym.
  
  
• Yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi. Low impact exercises also teach breath awareness and control which is useful during delivery and can adapt to modification as pregnancy progresses.
  
  

ACOG recommends against risky exercise choices that include any type of contact sport, activities that may include falling or risk of injury or scuba diving, which involves changes in water pressure.

"As a general rule, you can maintain what you were already doing when you become pregnant. Women who were not exercising have many things they can do to get more fit, but not to the extreme," recommends Tatum.

What to Expect

"My best advice for pre-pregnant women is to get themselves in gear and shape up. The better shape you are in before pregnancy, the easier it will be and you will recover more quickly. Women should work to be in the best shape of their lives. In most cases, those who are extremely fit and trained suffer drastically lower incidents of lower back pain, fatigue, nausea and all the other unpleasant side effects of pregnancy," believes Tatum.

Her specific pre-pregnancy training recommendations include cardiovascular workouts, strength training and eating well. "Take what you were doing before and up the intensity - and then don't forget about good nutrition. Besides safety issues, you need to learn how to navigate with your changing body - how to do a push-up with a belly, for example. It's important to teach body awareness, recognizing the changes. "That knowledge will carry over into an easier labor because you are so in tune with your body."

"After the baby comes, it's important to get started again. Deep belly breathing can begin the process of re-engaging the abdominal muscles and reawaken muscles that have stretched and relaxed. Women who have had a vaginal delivery can usually begin a walking program soon after their babies are born. Physicians recommend that those who have had a C-section wait several weeks before returning to training." continues Tatum. "If you experience pain anytime throughout your training, it's the body's way of telling you to back off."

Fitness in the Park

Once a baby is born, a woman often discovers other barriers that get in the way of her fitness program.

"Women who thought they were busy before the baby find they have even less time and energy for workouts after the baby is born," says Tatum. "Plus many don't want to bring their babies to the gym where they are exposed to a lot of people."

Working with clients, she schedules training at home, on a playground or at the park. Tatum has learned:

• You don't need a gym or a lot of equipment for a workout, even resistance training.
• Workouts at home, on a playground or at the park make it easy and convenient for new moms to bring their babies with them safely.
• Outdoor workouts with toddlers and older children can include them, turning exercise time into play time with lots of running around, step-ups on park benches or modified pull-ups on monkey bars.

"Studies have shown a strong or 'direct' correlation between parents' fitness levels and their children's as they grow up. Fit parents tend to have fit children and overweight parents often pass on the tendency to their kids. If we can make the process fun, children grow up associating quality time with mom with exercise," adds Tatum.

For More Information

Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, especially if you are already pregnant. More information on exercise and pregnancy from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is available from GoodHealth.com's online health encyclopedia. ACOG offers a fitness and pregnancy informational brochure American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on their website.

Previous GoodHealth.com stories have offered information on pregnancy and fitness from the perspective of a physician and physical therapist who are credentialed with the Seton Family of Hospitals.

If you are considering working with a personal trainer, many offer small group rates that make training affordable for several friends. You can usually find out more by checking the trainer's website. Central Texas also offers many group classes that focus on fitness during pregnancy. When choosing a trainer or a class instructor, make sure the person is certified and has experience in pre- and post-natal exercise.

The Seton Family of Hospitals offers a wide array of mother and infant services throughout the Central Texas region. Besides labor and delivery services, we provide access to classes and tours, parent education resources, high risk maternity care and Level III neonatal intensive care services for premature or ill newborns. The maternity area of Seton Medical Center Austin recently was expanded to provide a nurturing welcome for new families in a comfortably modern setting.