Get Your Body Ready for the Marathon of Labor! If you're newly pregnant, you're probably watching your diet carefully, getting plenty of rest, and preparing for the arrival of your new baby. You're also thinking about the big day itself and what the experience of labor will be like. Even if you're following a regular fitness program, you'll want to do everything you can to strengthen and prepare your body for the rigors of labor. Maternal Fitness features clearly illustrated exercises that focus specifically on the muscle groups you'll use throughout labor, especially the transverse abdominals -- the stomach muscles that play a critical role during delivery. A powerful set of transverse abs can speed labor and delivery and make for a quick recovery. By learning how to strengthen your abdominals and relax your pelvic floor muscles, you'll be able to push more effectively. While the Maternal Fitness program is designed specifically for the big moment, it also has other benefits, from minimizing backache and fatigue to giving you a welcome head start on getting back into shape after childbirth. Developed by a professional trainer who is also a registered nurse and childbirth educator, the Maternal Fitness program is safe for you and your baby and easy to do. Once learned, it can be incorporated into any workout.

"Presents various benefits of exercising during all the stages of pregnancy, and gives exercise recommendations for pregnant women."--Résumé de l'éd.

A simple, easy-to-follow guide for staying fit while pregnant and shedding the post-baby pounds after! Being a mom is the toughest job in the world. It's difficult to take time for yourself. Now, in How to Exercise When You're Expecting, even the busiest moms can learn how to stay strong and fit during their pregnancy and lose the post-baby weight after. Lindsay Brin, a women's fitness expert and creator of #1 bestselling Moms Into Fitness DVD series, shares insider tips to: -Understanding and tackling food cravings -Exercises that are safe to perform during different stages of pregnancy -Preparing for labor through relaxation and yoga techniques -How your body and metabolism changes after childbirth -Keeping fitness and nutrition a priority when time is scarce Battle-tested through Lindsay's own pregnancies, How to Exercise When You're Expecting offers a before, during, and after guide that will get moms back in pre-baby shape-or better.

Your journey through a comfortable, safe, and confident pregnancy begins with Pregnancy Fitness. This practical guide answers your questions and delivers the information, exercises, and workouts you need to maintain your personal fitness and enjoy the best possible experience in welcoming your baby to the world. Written by three experts in prenatal and postpartum fitness, pelvic floor exercise, and core restoration, Pregnancy Fitness covers all physical and physiological aspects of pregnancy, birth, and recovery so you can enjoy peace of mind throughout your pregnancy and long after delivery. You’ll get complete need-to-know information about hormones, body and posture changes, and common pregnancy aches and pains, along with critical information on diastasis recti and pelvic floor health, which aims to support and protect your body from core dysfunction. A full spectrum of stretching, strengthening, and functional exercises provides the focus, description, safety tips, and variations that allow you to progress safely through your pregnancy and to be physically prepared for birth and optimal recovery. The sample workout programs guide you through each phase of pregnancy, including postpartum, to help you establish and meet your personal fitness goals with comfort and confidence.

Current research has proven that it is not only safe for pregnant women to exercise, it is absolutely beneficial. Even if you are considered a high-risk pregnancy or are restricted to bed rest, you can and should exercise during this crucial time. This book includes specially designed exercises just for you. Among the benefits of exercise and proper nutrition during pregnancy: -Shorter, less painful labor -Fewer birth defects -Less excess weight gain -Ease of regaining pre-pregnancy figure -Healthier, calmer, and more intelligent babies Birgitta Gallo's Expecting Fitness doesn't lead you through some leg lifts. It shows you how to modify your current sports activities-including tennis, golf, aerobics, swimming, even kickboxing-safely throughout your pregnancy. It also includes nutritional guidelines, relaxation and breathing techniques, and an illustrated guide to the changes the pregnant body goes through. It is a unique and comprehensive guide for any woman who wants to give her baby the best possible start in life.

The Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Fitness is an invaluable reference manual for anyone involved in prescribing exercise programmes for pregnant women. Packed with practical tips on designing activity programmes, as well as how to apply the correct techniques to over 40 exercises, aided by full colour photos. This is an up-to-date practical guide to the underpinning theory and includes comprehensive recommended reading for each chapter. Learn about the physiological changes during pregnancy and how this affects exercise programmes, including contra-indications to be considered when working with pregnant clients. Also covered are the required legal and insurance elements.