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Exeercise and the second pregnancy...

by Skylar Hill-Jackson
published in MomNet News Link, 2002.

Think about ‘floating through your pregnancy’ in an aqua bellies class, or ‘breathing, stretching and de-stressing through your pregnancy’ in an yoga bellies class or ‘dancing through your pregnancy’ in a fit bellies low impact aerobics class!

It’s much harder the second time. You probably found it easy to find time to exercise during your first pregnancy. And, you also had the luxury of focusing on the upcoming labour and birth experience. During the second pregnancy you are often too busy running after your toddler to think about anything else. And, this second time around you may be hoping that running after your toddler is a recognized form of fitness!

“Regular physical exercise is essential for low risk pregnant women to maintain or improve maternal and fetal well-being,” say the experts at the recent Exercise and Pregnancy Conference presented by Sport C.A.R.E. & the Department of Obstetrics Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences Centre.

Conference presenters included Dr. Michelle R. Mottola, PhD., Exercise and Pregnancy Lab, University of Western Ontario, Dr. Julia Alleyne, Sport C.A.R.E., Sunnybrook & Women’s College Hospital (WCH), Dr. Jon Barrett, ObstGyn, Dr. James Carson, Sport Medicine, and Dr. Jean Marmoreo, all of Sunnybrook & WCH.

These experts agree that “with regular exercise women experience less urinary stress incontinence, less lactation-induced bone loss, less weight retention and improved psychosocial well-being as well as experiencing many other benefits.”

It is very important for the second (third or fourth) time mother-to-be to carve out some time for herself and the next expected baby. It is equally important according to the experts that pregnant women maintain some kind of regular fitness regime for optimum health benefits and they don’t mean just running after your toddler!

There are a variety of fitness programs available for pregnant women:
  • aqua bellies: the water resistance and buoyancy strengthen a pregnant woman’s body, improve circulation, massage and relax working muscles.
  • Fit bellies: muscle endurance, low impact aerobics and stretch and strength.
  • yoga bellies: breathing and postures strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, relieve tension in joins, increase energy and reduce stress.

Baby & Me Fitness celebrating a 15-year anniversary in 2002, has built a solid reputation in the Toronto birthing community for innovative and high quality programming for pregnant women.

aqua bellies is a very popular program because women at any fitness level (even women expecting twins) can exercise comfortably in water until their due date.

Although Baby & Me Fitness has been offering yoga bellies classes for 15 years it was only in the last three years that pregnancy yoga suddenly gained widespread popularity. To meet the sudden demand Baby & Me Fitness began to offer yoga bellies in all eight Toronto locations.

A year ago Baby & Me Fitness introduced Pregnant Couples Yoga (a 3-hour workshop) so husbands and/or partners could practise (together) gentle traditional yoga postures, breathing, vocal toning, meditation and massage. In this workshop couples gain confidence in the pregnancy, labour and birth process and enhance their flexibility and calmness, to reduce pain in labour and increase the joy of giving birth.

Fit bellies is designed for a woman already in a fitness program who wants to switch to a specialized class after feeling ‘uncomfortable’ with some of the regular class exercises and who also wants to share her pregnancy experience with other pregnant women. Though it is not recommended that a pregnant woman begin a new fitness activity, Fit bellies is designed for women at any fitness level.

Exercise is essential for encouraging and supporting a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women. Healthy and fit pregnant women means healthy and happy babies and families. So take time for yourself, and take time to bond and connect with your second (third or fourth) expected baby!