Moms-to-be eliminate exhaustion with regular exercise

NEW YORK -- Getting to the gym is often the last thing on the mind of an exhausted mother-to-be whose body is working hard to prepare for a baby.

But a new book argues that the things keeping you from working out -- fatigue, bloating, lower back pain, constipation and even moodiness -- are the same things regular exercise will alleviate.

"Research indicates their delivery is easier, they tend to gain less weight, they tend to lose the weight faster afterward," says Sue Fleming, author of "Buff Moms-to-Be: The Complete Guide to Fitness for Expectant Mothers" (Villard). "And working out, even for the non-pregnant person, will allow you to sleep better at night."

Although it may seem impossible, if you can force yourself to take a 20-minute walk or get to the gym for a workout, it will actually give you an energy boost.

Catherine Crocker, a math teacher in New Rochelle, N.Y., had the good fortune to find another benefit of exercise.

"During my first trimester I was quite sick, but exercise was one of the only things that made me feel OK. I actually didn't feel that nauseated when I was exercising," Crocker says.

Managing the mood swings

During her first pregnancy, Crocker could not work out because of problems with sciatica, which causes pain in the lower back and legs along the sciatic nerve. This time, Crocker is maintaining a regimen of walking, weight training and working out on an elliptical trainer.

Although her weight gain is similar to what she experienced in her first pregnancy, Crocker says her body is much more toned and she's only carrying weight in her stomach.

"I feel more like myself, I guess, just pregnant," Crocker says.

Crocker has gotten another lucky break, in that her workouts have tempered the mood swings that go along with hormonal changes during pregnancy.

"I don't feel like I've been quite as moody this time. I generally just feel better. I don't have particularly good pregnancies so I'm not sort of the blissful pregnant woman," Crocker says.

Fleming, the director of physical education at Riverdale Country School in Riverdale, N.Y., and a personal trainer for 10 years, offers plans for all fitness levels in "Buff Moms-to-Be" along with dozens of photos of pregnant women demonstrating the exercises.

For a woman who is an exercise novice, Fleming recommends a daily brisk walk in which you maintain a target heart rate of 140-150 beats per minute. It's also important to do strength training a couple of times a week using 3- to 5-pound weights. Work the major muscle groups in the legs, torso and shoulders to prepare for the work ahead of you after the baby is born.

"Once they've had the baby they're so sore. They're like, 'Oh, my lower back.' You're carrying 10 or 12 pounds around that you're not used to, the baby plus a diaper bag and other stuff," Fleming says.

Preparing a plan

The workout plans focus on strenghtening the pelvic floor muscles, which are used in delivery and help control the bladder. Fleming also recommends exercises that work the "core muscles" in the lower back and abdomen, which are used in delivery and are key in postpartum recovery.

Women who were physically fit before getting pregnant can continue to do strenuous exercise like running, but they will likely have to slow it down and shorten the distance. Pregnant women can get winded faster than normal because the uterus -- which grows to a thousand times its normal size during pregnancy -- pushes up on the diaphragm.

Fleming also offers alternatives to sit-ups for your ab workout, since lying on your back is discouraged by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In that position, the growing uterus can put pressure on the inferior vena cava, which carries blood from the torso and legs to the heart.

"You have to know your body. If you start to feel lightheaded on your back and there's pressure on your vena cava, turn on your side," Fleming says.

Fleming stresses that any workout plan should be approved by your doctor, since certain conditions make exercising dangerous.

According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, exercise is not recommended for women who are carrying twins or have had three or more miscarriages. It's also forbidden for women with diabetes (in some cases), heart or lung condition, second- or third-trimester bleeding, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, a cervix that is stitched closed or a ruptured amniotic sac.

After getting a doctor's approval on a workout plan, be sure to stop working out if you feel that you are overheating or have pain in the abdomen, chest or legs; nausea or dizziness; abnormal bleeding; or heart palpitations.