Benefits, Safety, & Guidelines

Research demon­strates that reg­u­lar moderate-to-vigorous exer­cise helps pre­vent pre/postnatal health prob­lems, includ­ing meta­bolic dis­or­ders and hyper­ten­sion.

We reg­u­larly mon­i­tor research and apply it to help keep our pro­grams safe and effec­tive. We com­bine aer­o­bics and spe­cial strength exer­cises with yoga-type cen­ter­ing, relax­ation, and group sup­port. It is avail­able to women around the world.

Check out Take a Class to start exercising!

Ben­e­fits

• Relief from discomforts

• Reduced risk for some dis­or­ders (ges­ta­tional dia­betes, preeclampsia)

• Improved sta­mina before, dur­ing and after labor

• Less need for inter­ven­tion dur­ing labor and birth

• Quick recov­ery period fol­low­ing birth

Safety Issues

• Reg­u­lar, mod­er­ate activ­ity improves deliv­ery of oxy­gen and nutri­ents and reduces risks.

• Some posi­tions — stand­ing still or lying on your back for a long time — may con­tribute to blood pres­sure syn­dromes and loss of uter­ine blood flow.

• The need for pro­tein and water is increased

• Sud­den, jar­ring move­ments may have neg­a­tive effects

• Splint­ing the Abdomen Dur­ing Curl Downs:

After 20 weeks, use curl downs to strengthen abdom­i­nals. Be sure to “splint” or pull the sides of the abdomen together while curl­ing down as shown in photos:

splint1splint2

Guide­lines

• Get proper screen­ing from your health care provider

• Do some cen­ter­ing and relax­ing exer­cises along with aer­o­bics, strength and stretch.

• Avoid fatigue and over-training; do reg­u­lar exer­cise 3 — 5 times a week

• Eat small meals many times a day (200–300 calo­ries every 2–3 hours)

• Drink at least 8 cups of water every day

• Avoid hot, humid places

• Wear good shoes dur­ing aer­o­bic activities

BE CAREFUL!   LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!