Participants love these classes because the atmosphere is so much more sup-
portive than it tends to be in regular classes. You don’t find a maniacal drill-
sergeant instructor yelling, “Okay, today’s leg-lift-’til-you-drop day.” And you
don’t find class members in two-piece leotards showing off their sculpted abs.“It was so great to be working out with other women who were as big as a
house!” says our friend Dana, who switched from regular step aerobics to a
prenatal aerobics class in her third trimester. “Before, I was always the one
who had to stop early because I was too winded or my back hurt.” Prenatal
exercise classes offer camaraderie and a chance to swap war stories about
hemorrhoids, swollen ankles, and husbands who — try as they might — just
don’t get it.Continue lifting weights
If you’ve never lifted weights before, pregnancy isn’t the time to start an
unsupervised strength program. But if you know what you’re doing in the
weight room or you’re experienced using dumbbells at home, you have no
reason to quit your routine. And as long as you make the appropriate modifi-
cations, there are plenty of great reasons to stick with it. (We don’t want to
discourage novices from strength training during pregnancy, but you need to
work with a trainer who’s very experienced with pregnant women or join a
supervised, prenatal weight-training class at a health club.)334 Part VII: Exercising for All Ages and Stages
Activities to avoid
Certain activities just don’t mix with pregnancy,
and that list usually includes the following:
Scuba diving, due to the intense underwa-
ter pressure, which is harmful to your baby.Water-skiing, during which you may fall. In
addition, if less-than-clean lake or ocean
water enters your vagina, you risk getting
an infection.
Contact sports, like soccer, volleyball, bas-
ketball, and hockey introduce a major risk
of falls and contact injuries.Downhill skiing, figure skating, horseback
riding, and mountain biking, all because of
the risk of falling.
Cross-country skiing, rowing, and (some-
times) running, because these can be very
difficult activities that can overtax your
body.Remember: Check with your healthcare
provider for the final word.