are simply fated to a prolonged, agonizing labor, while others usher their
little ones into the world relatively quickly. However, regardless of the labor
experience, fit women do seem to bounce back from pregnancy a lot faster
than their inactive counterparts.Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy if you’re not already in good shape?
Yes, as long as you work out moderately and have your doctor’s okay. In fact,
some doctors believe pregnancy is a terrific time to start working out. Entering
labor in poor physical condition, they say, is like running the Boston Marathon
without any training. It only makes sense to prepare your body for the mega-
workout to come.In this chapter, we offer a brief overview of a fit pregnancy, along with several
safety precautions. For an in-depth look at the research supporting prenatal
exercise, we recommend Fit Pregnancy For Dummies,by Catherine Cram and
Tere Stouffer Drenth (published by Wiley), along with Exercising Through Your
Pregnancy,by James Clapp III, M.D., a top prenatal exercise researcher and
strong advocate of prenatal workouts.Be sure to get your doctor’s permission before embarking on a prenatal exer-
cise program. Some high-risk conditions do rule out exercise during pregnancy.Understanding the Benefits
of a Fit Pregnancy
In this short section, we fill you in on how staying fit during your pregnancy
makes the entire 40 weeks easier to manage, brings you and your baby
tremendous benefits, makes labor and delivery easier than for non-exercisers,
and helps you go back to your pre-pregnancy weight and size after your baby
is born.Part VII: Exercising for All Ages and Stages ...............
Read Fit Pregnancymagazine
If you expect to stay fit when you’re expecting,
you can find no better source of information
than Fit Pregnancy,the only magazine devoted
to the concerns of pregnant women (and new
moms) who exercise. A quarterly created by the
editors of Shape, Fit Pregnancy (also at
http://www.fitpregnancy.com) is full of great
exercise ideas.The magazine also provides the latest news on
the research front. In addition, diet and nutrition
are regular topics in Fit Pregnancy,as are sex
and health issues such as genetic testing and
infant vaccinations. Fit Pregnancyalso rates
exercise books and videos, maternity workout
clothes, and running strollers.