Finding Fitness After Baby

Continued...

In conjunction with your physician, you should determine a target heart rate and establish the duration and frequency of your exercise program.

Monitor your heart rate closely to make sure you don't exceed it. This is particularly true during pregnancy, when overexertion can cause fetal distress.

Assuming your physician has cleared you for exercise, a number of symptoms may develop during pregnancy and the postpartum periods that indicate that you should stop exercising and seek medical attention. According to Dr. Raul Artal, a nationally renowned researcher on exercise and pregnancy, they are:

• Pain of any kind, including headache and chest pain
• Uterine contractions
• Vaginal bleeding or leaking fluid Dizziness or faintness
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations (pounding heartbeat) or tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
• Persistent nausea and/or vomiting
• Back, pubic, hip, or knee pain
• Difficulty in walking
• Generalized edema (swelling)
• Decreased fetal activity

Any pain associated with running, jogging, or any other exercise means you should stop immediately. Slow and gradual return to activity is the key to a successful reconditioning program.

Any rush to achieve peak condition is likely to result in injury, even if you haven't undergone the extreme physiological changes of pregnancy. Avoid straining or reaching the point of fatigue during the postpartum period.

This is a time to pamper yourself, enjoy your new baby, and plan a gradual six- to nine-month conditioning program to return your body to its pre-pregnancy state.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | Previous

About the authors: Carol L. Otis, M.D., is Chief Medical Advisor to the Sanex WTA and a UCLA student health physician. Roger Goldingay is a former professional soccer player. They are married and the co-authors of The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide.

Order Now!

Table of Contents

Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

General Health
Nutrition
Exercise
Common Medical Problems
Dental Health
Emergency!
Infectious Disease
Sexual Health
Emotional Well-Being
Eating Disorders
Alcohol & Other Drugs
Environmental Health
Prevention