Fit Pregnancy For Dummies

by Cram, Catherine; Drenth, Tere Stouffer

• ISBN13: 9780764558290
• ISBN10: 0764558293
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-02
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Are you intrigued by the idea of working out during pregnancy, but think it can't be safe? Are you unsure how the words fit and pregnancy actually make sense in the same sentence? If so, you've come to the right place. This easy-to-follow guide shows you how you can be fit and pregnant, whether you're new to exercise or have been working out for years, and whether you're in your second week of pregnancy or your 32nd.Fit Pregnancy For Dummies is for you if you're pregnant, if you're thinking about becoming pregnant, and You want to be as fit and healthy as you can be whatever your current fitness level without in any way jeopardizing your health or the health of your baby. This guide gives you the straight facts on: Staying safe when you exercise Developing a plan with your health provider Choosing the right equipment Modifying your routine for each trimester Eating well for nine months and beyond From yoga and swimming to weight training, aerobics, and much more, you'll see how to get started with a fun, step-by-step fitness routine that will make your entire pregnancy easier to manage. Postpartum expert and prenatal fitness class instructor Catherine Cram and fitness expert Tere Stouffer Drenth give you the scoop on the activities that work best for pregnant women and how to set up a routine that works best for you. You'll understand how a fit pregnancy helps you with delivery and postpartum shape-up. Plus, you get expert advice on activities to avoid, eating well, and staying motivated during and after your pregnancy, as well as: Dressing comfortably for your workout Warming up and stretching to increase flexibility and avoid injury Modifying your exercise routine Staying fit after giving birth Finding the time for exercise and motherhood Complete with special tips on exercising indoors, staying motivated, getting your family hooked on fitness, and helping your child grow up healthy and fit, Fit Pregnancy For Dummies is the key to exercising safely and staying fit throughout your pregnancy and beyond!

Author Biography

Catherine Cram is an exercise physiologist who specializes in prenatal and postpartum fitness. Her consulting company, Comprehensive Fitness Consulting, LLC, provides maternal fitness certificate training courses for health and fitness professionals. She’s an expert advisor to and writes for Baby Years, Pregnancy, Women’s Health and Fitness, and iparenting.com. Catherine has been featured in prenatal fitness articles for Fit Pregnancy, Parenting, Glamour, Babytalk, and The American Journal of Medicine and Sports, and is a contributing author of Women’s Health Care in Physical Therapy: Principles and Practices for Rehabilitation Specialists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). You can contact her at [e-mail].

Tere Stouffer Drenth is both a full-time writer and a semiprofessional runner who works, trains, hikes, and lives in northern Michigan. A former crosscountry All-American, Tere (which rhymes with Mary) writes about fitness and the outdoors in the hope that people of all ages and backgrounds will challenge themselves physically and reap the many rewards of exercise. She is the author of Marathon Training For Dummies (Wiley) and several other books. You can reach her at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
About This Book	p. 1
Conventions Used in This Book	p. 1
Foolish Assumptions	p. 2
How This Book Is Organized	p. 3
Icons Used in This Book	p. 5
Where to Go from Here	p. 5
Fit Pregnancy: 1sn't That an Oxymoron?	p. 7
Making Your Pregnancy a Fit Pregnancy	p. 9
What Does "Fit Pregnancy" Mean?	p. 9
Weighing In on the Benefits	p. 10
Finding the Right Activities for You	p. 11
Turning Your Fit Pregnancy into Fit Motherhood	p. 13
Recognizing the Benefits of a Fit Pregnancy	p. 15
Coping with the Changes Your Body Is Experiencing	p. 15
Preparing Your Body for Labor and Delivery	p. 19
Passing the Benefits to Your Baby	p. 20
Bouncing Back after Your Baby Is Born	p. 22
Designing a Safe Prenatal Fitness Program	p. 23
Consulting Your Healthcare Provider	p. 23
Developing an Exercise Plan	p. 25
Monitoring Your Body	p. 28
Modifying, Modifying, Modifying Your Routine	p. 31
Knowing How Much May Be Too Much	p. 35
Understanding Conditions That Make Exercise Off-Limits	p. 37
Knowing Which Activities Are Best (And Which to Avoid)	p. 39
Discovering the Best Ways to Stay Fit While Pregnant	p. 39
Considering Additional Activities, Depending on Your Background	p. 43
Steering Clear of Certain Activities	p. 45
Finding Activities Even When You're on Bed Rest	p. 45
Getting Up and Moving: Fit Pregnancy Basics	p. 51
Never Exercised Before? No Problem!	p. 53
Finding Fun Ways to Work Out	p. 53
Establishing Reasonable Expectations for Yourself	p. 58
The Basics: Warming Up, Cooling Down, Stretching, and Hydrating	p. 59
Debunking "No Pain, No Gain"	p. 60
Setting Up Your First Fitness Routine	p. 64
Staying Motivated	p. 70
Exercise for Fitness Buffs and Competitive Athletes	p. 73
Understanding Physical Changes during Pregnancy	p. 74
Modifying Your Workouts to Accommodate Your Pregnancy	p. 74
Finding Alternate Activities	p. 76
Easing Back into Your Routine after Delivery	p. 77
Dressing for Success: Finding Workout Gear	p. 81
Sole Searching: Finding Shoes That Fit	p. 82
Getting Underneath it All: Undergarments	p. 84
Timing Yourself with a Sports Watch	p. 88
Playing It Cool: Finding Summer and Indoor Gear	p. 88
Playing Outside: Rain and Winter Gear	p. 93
Water, Water Everywhere: Swimming and Water Aerobics Gear	p. 97
Coming to Love Cycling Gear--Even Skin-Tight Shorts	p. 101
Stretching the Truth: An Honest Look at Stretching	p. 107
Recognizing What Stretching Can Do for You	p. 107
Getting Loose: Basic Stretches	p. 109
Eating Well for Nine Months--and for Life	p. 119
Fueling Your Body with the Right Foods	p. 121
Developing Good Eating Habits	p. 121
Sorting through the Hype about Carbs and Fats	p. 124
Getting Your Vitamins and Minerals	p. 130
Drinking Enough Fluids	p. 134
Recognizing Which Foods to Limit or Avoid Completely	p. 136
Healthy Weight Gain during Pregnancy	p. 139
Adding Up the Numbers: Normal Weight Gain	p. 139
Keeping Food Down during the First Trimester	p. 141
Eating Enough without Overeating	p. 142
Pickles and Ice Cream: Feeding Your Cravings	p. 146
Fun and Healthy Activities for Pregnancy and Beyond	p. 149
Balls, Bands, Bars, and Mats: Simple, Inexpensive Workouts	p. 151
Introducing the Cheapest Exercise Equipment You Can Buy	p. 152
Doing Core Strengthening Exercises	p. 154
Working with a Workout Ball	p. 158
The Irresistible Lure of Resistance Bands	p. 165
No Holds Barred: Bars and Hand Weights	p. 173
Fitness Walking and Running	p. 179
Fitness Walking 101	p. 180
Running for Your Life	p. 182
Deciding Whether to Buy a Treadmill	p. 186
Swimming and Water Aerobics	p. 191
Finding Classes and Pool Time	p. 192
Swimming with the Current	p. 194
Aerobicizing Underwater: The Ultimate Low-Impact Aerobics	p. 201
Yoga, Pilates, and Low-Impact Aerobics	p. 207
Yoga: Soothing Your Mind and Body	p. 208
Pilates: Strengthening with Concentration and Control	p. 213
Low-Impact Aerobics: Big Results with Little Joint Stress	p. 214
Deciding Between a Class and a Video	p. 216
A Bicycle Built for Two	p. 219
Investing in Cycling Equipment	p. 220
Taking a Few Outdoor Safety Precautions	p. 223
Basic Cycling Techniques: No Training Wheels Required	p. 226
Wheeling through a Cycling Workout Plan	p. 229
Weightlifting and Indoor Machines	p. 231
Indoor Machines: The Pros and Cons	p. 232
Weightlifting: We Want to Pump You Up!	p. 235
Stair-Stepping to Heaven	p. 241
Elliptical Trainers: Combining Cycling, Skiing, and a Whole Bunch of Other Stuff	p. 243
Skiing, Cross-Country Style	p. 244
Row, Row, Row Your Boat	p. 245
Mixing It Up: Combining Different Exercise Routines	p. 247
Finding Great Reasons to Begin Cross-Training	p. 248
Incorporating Cross-Training into Your Routine	p. 250
The Tenth Month and Later: Staying Fit for Life	p. 259
Recovering from the Labor Marathon and Getting Up and at 'Em	p. 261
Resting Up First	p. 262
Caring for Your Baby without Stressing Your Body	p. 264
Deciding When to Exercise and What Activities to Do	p. 273
Returning to Your Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Strengthening Your Abs	p. 275
Finding Time for Fitness and Motherhood	p. 281
Deciding Where and How to Work Out	p. 281
Getting Your Partner Involved	p. 284
Making Fitness Last a Lifetime	p. 285
Starting Your Kids Off on the Right Fitness Foot	p. 291
Understanding the Impact of Low Activity and Excess Calories on Kids	p. 291
Helping Children Nurture Their Natural Love of Activity	p. 292
Making Healthy Eating Your Family's Hallmark	p. 298
The Part of Tens	p. 303
Ten Ideas for Staying Fit without Leaving the House	p. 305
Pop in an Exercise Video	p. 305
Set up a Low-Impact Circuit Routine	p. 306
Take Up Yoga	p. 306
Purchase a Treadmill, Stationary Bike, Stair-Stepper, and So On	p. 307
Accept Offers of Exercise Equipment from Anyone	p. 307
Keep Hand Weights or Resistance Bands by the TV	p. 308
Dance Around	p. 308
Garden with a Purpose	p. 309
Clean the House Vigorously	p. 309
Exercise in Unusual Ways in Usual Places	p. 310
Ten or So Ways to Get Family and Friends Involved in Your Quest for Fitness	p. 311
Gathering Support While You Work Out	p. 311
Getting Your Family or Friends to Exercise with You	p. 314
Ten (Plus One) Resources for Pregnancy Workout Gear	p. 315
Your Local Discount or Sporting Goods Store	p. 315
Athletic Specialty Shops	p. 316
Maternity Clothing Shops	p. 317
Your Partner's Closet	p. 321
Index	p. 323
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