Friday, April 25, 2014

Gym Bullies Taunt Pregnant Woman

A woman's pregnancy fitness regimen is individual, and depends on her health status and her doctor's advice.

Gym bullies don't know what a doctor has advised a pregnant woman, and they shouldn't comment, says Haley, mother of a 3-year-old.

"Maybe they're being instructed to gain weight," she says. "When they do, they don't need to have it pointed out at the gym."

Haley does a gym workout 2 to 3 times a week for strength-conditioning and works on cardiovascular fitness the other days. But there are days when she's exhausted, and then her goal is "to just move my body."

After her first pregnancy, Haley waited 4-6 weeks before returning to the gym. It took 4 months to lose her pregnancy weight and 9 months to "get my body back to my pre-pregnancy fitness level."

For postnatal exercise, she recommends core work – firming up muscles from the top of the ribs to the hip bones (excluding your abs, of course) – to strengthen back muscles and the pelvic muscles used during labor.

But don't do anything without checking with your doctor. They know your body better than anyone, she says.

"Some women get up the next day and can take a nice walk, others take longer," Dr. Weiss says. "Physical activity is wonderful, but use common sense."

For more information, see Lifescript's Pregnancy Health Center ^[1].