Doctors: Stay fit during pregnancy

There once was a time when pregnant women were expected to take it easy, rest and avoid exerting themselves for nine months before taking part in what possibly could be their most grueling physical challenge.

That time is gone.

More often, women are choosing - or being advised by their doctors - to stay active throughout their pregnancies.

"I tell my patients that pregnancy is a great time to exercise," said Deborah Berman, an assistant professor and obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Michigan. "Health and fitness is important before, during and after a pregnancy. It's not a time to stop exercising and lose your fitness and lose your conditioning."

For some women, working out while expecting is a matter of wanting to quickly bounce back after delivery. Others exercise to remedy pregnancy-induced ailments, like back and muscle aches. Most believe that by taking care of themselves, they're also benefiting their soon-to-be-born children.

"If I have a woman come to me and she is newly pregnant, I ask her first if she has been doing a regular exercise routine," Erica Meyer, fitness and wellness coordinator and personal trainer at the Sterling-Rock Falls YMCA, said. "It is important to keep up your exercise routine but you need to tone down the intensity level to some degree."

Knowing how to stay active while you're expecting can be tricky. Workouts that are suitable for a non-pregnant person, such as running, also can work during pregnancy, but only up to a point, experts said.

Gentle activities specifically geared toward pregnancy are smart choices, such as yoga, water aerobics and walking.

At both the Sterling YMCA and the Dixon YMCA, staff encourage pregnant woman to hit the pool and take part in other light exercises.

"What we encourage women to do is join a deep-water fitness class. It reduces stress on the joints and muscles," said Colleen Dempsey, aquatics director at the Dixon YMCA.

Obviously, someone who is an avid tennis player or volleyball player will need to steer clear of the courts as they start showing, but that does not mean there aren't other ways to be fit.

"If you have an athletic person that is already in a program, they can continue the same program, until they get bigger. Then they need to taper down the program," said Shirley Stone, a Dixon doctor of obstetrics/gynecology.

Everything, including weightlifting and running, still is available to expecting mothers, according to Stone, at least in the first few months of their pregnancy.

"If the woman has been generally active her whole life, she does not need to stop being active. She just needs to be smart about it," Meyer said.

Aside from the physical benefits everyone reaps from exercise, women will find working out makes for a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery.

"It minimizes their weight gain. It makes them better able to endure the physical stresses of labor, and they go through labor faster," Stone said. "It also helps for getting back into shape after the pregnancy."

The Detroit Free Press contributed to this story.

Social bookmarking allows users to save and categorise a personal collection of bookmarks and share them with others. This is different to using your own browser bookmarks which are available using the menus within your web browser.

Use the links below to share this article on the social bookmarking site of your choice.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone and we reserve the right to withhold or remove any comment from publication.

Do not post:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in saukvalley.com's story comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of Sauk Valley Newspapers. Sauk Valley Newspapers provides an interactive computer service and does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Sauk Valley Newspaper spokespersons.

Thank you for your comments!

Additional information :

From www.saukvalley.com:
Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology publishes research on all aspects of maternal, fetal and neonatal infections during.
Obstetrics is the study of the reproductive process within the female body, including fertilization, pregnancy.
Publishes original research, reviews and case reports in the fields of obstetrics, prenatal diagnosis, general gynecology and reproductive.
Promotes research and education in ultrasound within the field of obstetrics.
Reviews advances in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Journal of Obstetrics.
Six issues per year with literature reviews, views of the leading experts and annotated.
Each issue covers two topics of interest to practicing obstetricians.
The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Web site provides information on certification and maintenance of certification for obstetricians.