Exercising with baby-to-be

Indulging in pickles and ice cream, proping up swollen feet and generally taking it easy might come to mind when one thinks of pregnancy. Staying active, however, holds rewards for pregnant women, according to doctors and fitness specialists.

Exercise benefits pregnant women in multiple ways, from cutting down on weight gain, to easing and sometimes shortening the labor process.

The importance of staying away from alcohol and cigarettes while managing stress levels and maintaining a healthful diet is well known.

Many gyms offer prenatal aerobics and yoga classes designed for the changing bodies of mothers-to-be.

Leigh Byers, a fitness specialist at Helen Keller Hospital WellCare Center in Sheffield, said most women can safely walk for exercise well into their pregnancies. "The key is to make sure they don't get their heart rate up," she said.

"Any walking program is going to be good," Byers said "That's something that has a low risk of injury."

Other low-key activities include swimming and water aerobics. Their benefits can translate over to post-pregnancy health.

"If you maintain the exercise after you deliver the baby, it's easier to loose that weight," Byers said.

How far into her pregnancy a woman

can exercise varies, depending on her

prepregnancy fitness routine.

Intensity of exercise "depends on how the pregnancy is going in the last trimester," said Dr. H. Douglas Woodford, of Florence OB/GYN Group. Informative books and pamplets doctors give to their patients should not substitute for a conversation about the patient's pre-exercise program and how she should adjust it to accommodate her pregnancy, Woodford said.

Kelly Hall added another element to her health regimen when she worked out almost up to the day of delivery in June 2006. When Hall was eight months pregnant, she spent 50 minutes a day on the elliptical trainer, followed with squats on a leg press machine and 8-pound weights for upper body strength.

"That gives me enough of a burn so I feel it, but not so much of a strain on my heart so I can't breath," Hall said.

A distance runner who had entered several 5K races, Hall said she kicked back during her first pregnancy.

The result?

She gained 50 pounds and had a long and difficult labor.

During her second pregnancy, she put her then 3-year-old son, Hudson, in a play group when she did an hour of exercise.

Hall worked full time as a middle-school teacher until a month before the baby was due. She said her husband, Jason, an avid mountain cyclist, helped her develop a work out program, while she was under the care of her father-in-law, Doug Hall, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Ocala, Fla.

Known in town as a "pioneer of healthy pregnancy," Doug Hall has practiced medicine for 38 years and has delivered nearly 11,000 babies. After watching his first wife go through a difficult pregnancy and exhausting labor, he started an exercise program for expectant mothers.

He recommends each woman be evaluated by her doctor before beginning any exercise regime. For workouts, he recommends using a fitness instructor or physical therapist.

The doctor offers these tips to help pregnant women keep fit:

n Take vitamins prescribed by your doctor, but also eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals for nourishment.

n When working out, monitor your heart rate and do not allow it to go over 140.

n Take brisk walks, but not in areas where you can be exposed to automobile exhaust fumes.

n Whenever you get a chance, engage in simple exercises, such as standing pushups in a corner.

One of the final benefits of prenatal exercise is it aids women in recovery so they can resume their former fitness routine.

"You heal quicker when you're in good physical condition," Woodford said.

Lynn Leonard is a living testimony to that. The 5-foot-4-inch mother of two weighs 110 pounds, and in 2006 she placed fifth overall in the women's division in the Disney Marathon - only 8 1/2 weeks after giving birth to her second child.

If you are a novice runner, however, "this is no time to train for a marathon."

"What we usually tell people in pregnancy is it is not a good time to increase (their exercise)," Woodford said.

The hormone relaxin can leave the body more susceptible to injury during pregnancy.

"Remember that (women) make hormones that relax tendons and connective tissues, so it's easy to twist an ankle," Woodford said.

Most abdominal exercises are out of the question. Byers said women should generally avoid any exercise that involves jumping, a risk of loosing balance, or in later trimesters, activities that may place pressure on the baby, such as toe-touches.

Marian Rizzo, of the NYT Regional Media Group, contributed to this story. Jennifer Crossley can be reached at 740-5743 or jennifer.crossley@timesdaily.com.