One Hot Mama: Prenatal and
Postnatal Fitness Routines
You’re expecting — and maybe you’re worried that those extra pounds will stick around after the baby is born. Not necessarily — with a proper diet and exercise program tailored to your specific needs, it is possible, and even advisable, to stay fit for two, right up to your delivery date.
Or maybe the blessed event was a few months ago and you’ve got a case of post-baby workout blues. You want to get back in shape, you want to be with your baby, and you don’t know where to begin.
Walk About asked three local health and fitness pros how to stay fit during pregnancy, and how to get your figure back after the baby is born. Here’s their advice.*
* Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program before, during, and after pregnancy.
Working Out with Baby: Getting Your Booty Back
By Erin Shirey
Having a baby is one of life’s biggest marathons. It is also a time to realize you now have the cutest workout buddy with you at all times. You may feel overwhelmed trying to set up a post-baby exercise program. Luckily, summer is here, and the outdoors is the perfect place for you to start moving.
Get your stroller, make sure your baby is securely strapped in, and you are ready to get started. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise, and being outside will make you and your munchkin happier. You’ll enjoy engaging your muscles, and your baby will appreciate the sights and sounds as you stroll down the street.
Start with proper stroller posture, then try to maintain it throughout your walk. Walk or run in a relaxed position, shoulders back, back straight, and chin parallel to the ground. Keep your forearms relaxed.
In the beginning, try to walk at least 30 minutes a day. As each week passes, add an additional 10 minutes to your walk. Try to build up to 60 minutes of walking, and add in intervals of speed walking and light jogging.
During your stroller workouts, the following exercises will help build stronger muscles, increase your endurance, and help burn off excess fat, including baby weight. Do these exercises three to five times each week, two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Start slow, and add more reps as you get stronger.
These exercises can be done anywhere — a park, a school, even out on the trail.
Walking Lunges
Stand facing the stroller. Push the stroller forward enough so you can bring one leg forward while comfortably hanging on to the bar. Bend your front knee to a 90-degree angle. Don’t let the knee drop past your toe as you straighten your back leg. Bring feet together and repeat with other leg.
Wide Walking Lunges
Same starting position as with a walking lunge. Bring one leg forward but angle it towards the outside of the stroller’s tire instead. Bend your knee to a 90-degree angle, step, put your feet together, and repeat on the other side.
Push Ups
These can be done on a park bench, on a log, or performed over your baby as she lies snoozing in the grass. Place hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on a park bench or a log. Line up your shoulders so they are above your hands. Bend at the elbows, and lower your chest towards the bench or log. Maintain an even and controlled pace of flexion and extension. Beginners, start on your knees, or stand at the back of a bench.
Plank Over Baby
The same pose as described above, only done in the grass. Start on your stomach, with hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Raise yourself slowly, until your body is like a plank. Beginners, start on your knees and work to straighten your back legs as you get stronger.
Triceps Dip
Sit on a bench or log, facing your baby in the stroller. Place the heels of your hands on either side of your hips, extend your legs, and align your hips with the bench. Flex your elbows, but keep them in line with your shoulders. Lower yourself just below the height of the seat. Raise and repeat.
Airplane™
Lie on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees. Place your baby, tummy side down, on top your shins. Tighten your abs. Holding your munchkin’s hands, press your feet out three to six inches, hold for five seconds, then bring your “airplane” in for a landing. Repeat 15 times.
Before you know it, you’ll be back in your pre-pregnancy clothes and stronger than before. With your new exercise partner never far away and always eager to be on the go, you two will enjoy your workout time together.
Erin Shirey is the Northwest Regional Manager of Baby Boot Camp®, owns Baby Boot Camp® Portland and Beaverton, and is the New Mom Editor for FOX 12’s “Better.” She has a bachelor’s in Kinesiology, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and is a Fit To Deliver Pre- and Postnatal Certified Trainer. She can be reached at www.babybootcamp.com or 503-703-1269.
Hot Mama in Training: Busting the Fitness Myths
By Selena M. Moffitt
You are an active woman who is now blessed with pregnancy. You immediately fear for the loss of your current exercise regime and body shape. Don’t worry! Now is your chance to become a Hot Mama.
You will lose the weight you gained, especially if you continued to exercise during your pregnancy. Work with a personal
trainer to develop a safe and effective workout for your pre- and post-baby body.
Selena M. Moffitt, ACE, AFAA, OREMT-P, is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor. She is a member of Sunshine Fitness Resources. Moffitt can be reached at 503-618-4142 or erjunkie2@hotmail.com.
First Trimester*
(Weeks one through 13)
Myth: Heart rate should remain below 140 beats per minute.
Truth: As of 1994, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists cites no specific restrictions on the heart rate for healthy pregnant women.
As you work out, watch for: Fatigue, nausea, and dizziness. This means you are in “underfill,” when your blood vessels are expanding to meet the need of more blood for the fetus, faster than your body can produce blood to fill them.
Do this: Work with a trainer who is pre/postnatal certified. Exercise at your current level of fitness, but listen to your body. You should be able to hold a conversation while exercising. It’s OK to take it easy; growing a human is hard work! |
Second Trimester*
(Weeks 14 through 27)
Myth: Exercise will rob the baby of oxygenated blood.
Truth: Maternal exercise does increase the fetal heart rate; however, it does not produce changes in fetal breathing or activity patterns that would equate to insufficient oxygen, writes James F. Clapp, MD, and author of Exercising Through Your Pregnancy.
Avoid: Humidity, heat, hunger, and high risk sports.
Do this: Drink up! Always have water and a snack handy. Exercising outdoors? Choose a cool time of day. Heading for the gym? Be a fan hog. You will naturally sweat more as your body strives to regulate its core temperature. |
Third Trimester*
(Weeks 28 through 40)
Myth: Abdominal exercises are unsafe.
Truth: There are many safe abdominal exercises that can be performed in alternative positions, such as on a stability ball or on all fours.
Watch for: An aching low back or leg swelling.
Do this: Continue to exercise, but head for the pool. The water pressure will massage your body and improve circulation.
Added benefit: Water aerobics will lift the baby off your pelvic floor, giving you some bladder relief. |
Fourth Trimester*
(delivery through 12 weeks
postpartum)
Myth: You must wait three months before exercising.
Truth: With an uncomplicated delivery, you may be able to resume light exercise as soon as three weeks postpartum. Immediately begin Kegel exercises and abdominal compression exercises to tone the pelvic floor and rebuild your abs.
Watch for: Increased bleeding, fatigue, and joint pain.
Do this: Realize that you need to heal your traumatized body. Walking is a great way to slowly resume your exercise regime. Keep the intensity low until you have stopped bleeding. Hormones that have kept your joints loose to accommodate the baby’s growth will remain in your body for up to 18 months postpartum. Stick to soft and flat terrain to avoid injury. |
* Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program before, during, and after pregnancy.
Pilates for the Fourth Trimester
By Wendy Foster
It doesn’t matter if you are starting a Pilates program for the first time or are continuing a program that began before you became pregnant: Pilates and core work are ideal exercises for the postpartum woman.
The changes that occur during pregnancy may cause us to change our movement patterns, and not always for the better. These adopted habits can carry over into the “fourth trimester” and cause long-term muscular imbalances if not addressed. Modified Pilates exercises for the postpartum woman, combined with mindful movement, can equal new, positive kinetic patterns and overall physical conditioning.*
Pilates during the fourth trimester can help with:
Regaining Postural Alignment
During pregnancy, the ribs widen to make space for the baby. The hips and pelvis bear more weight and adapt accordingly. Postpartum, the spine is tight from lack of proper rotation, and the low back can be sore. Through Pilates, you will re-learn your neutral spine position, then perform exercises to strengthen your back. When doing floor work, you won’t have your back pressed to the mat entirely. Nor is your back arched, ribs flaring. You will work from your middle, strengthening and recruiting the correct muscles to regain alignment.
Strengthening Abdominals
Pilates is ideal for strengthening all the abdominal muscles, including the transverse abdominals, also known as the “inner corset.” All Pilates exercises are initiated from the abdominals, so core exercises are performed throughout the entire workout.
Stretching/extending the Chest Area
During pregnancy, the pelvis can tip forward. Between nursing and continually lifting, carrying, and bending over the baby, the shoulders may round forward. The result is neck and back pain, plus shortened pectoral muscles. Pilates is designed to stretch what is tight and lengthen what Is shortened.
Re-connecting to the Core After Cesarean
Because a cesarean birth is major abdominal surgery, the recovery can be longer and more challenging than that of a traditional birth. The abdominal muscles have been cut and will take a long time to heal. To compensate, the body tends to recruit the shoulders and low back to lift and hold the baby. Pilates helps teach you how to reconnect with your abs.
Wendy Foster is a certified Pilates instructor and has been teaching since 1999. She lives in Portland, OR, with her husband and two sons. Contact her at Divine Pilates, www.divinepilates.com or 503-459-8936. |
