Now you can regain control of your body and prepare for the rigors of childbirth with The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book. Recent studies indicate that exercise during pregnancy can alleviate discomfort, increase energy levels, speed labor, and reduce the risk of complications. The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book walks you through specially tailored exercises for toning and strengthening legs, arms, abdominal muscles, and the lower back-the parts of the body most affected by pregnancy and childbirth. Also included are tips and expert advice for creating a safe fitness plan for each trimester, dealing with the strains of pregnancy, and relieving stress. The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book shows you how to: Assess your exercise needs and abilities Exercise safely and avoid injury Establish a routine for walking, swimming, yoga, and aerobic activity Create a program that enables you to lose weight quickly after your baby is born The Everything Pregnancy Fitness Book provides risk-free workouts to promote good health and well-being before, during, and after delivery.

Your all-in-one guide for a fit pregnancy! As a mom-to-be, you want the best for your baby and yourself. You need sensible, up-to-date advice on maintaining a healthy diet and a robust fitness level. The Everything Guide to Pregnancy Health and Nutrition is your ultimate mother's helper for diet, exercise, nutrition, and more--at every stage. Inside, you'll find information on: Determining your caloric needs When (and when not!) to exercise The best and worst foods for pregnancy Exercises for all your major muscle groups Vegetarian or vegan pregnancies Getting back into exercise after your baby is born With extra information on pre- and post-pregnancy health, this guide is the perfect handbook for mamas-to-be looking to stay healthy!

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

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.

Unnatural and unhealthy processed foods are everywhere, and they make eating a balanced diet particularly difficult. Chieffi shows how you can follow the Paleo diet during pregnancy and beyond-- safely and successfully. You'll be vibrant, fit, and happy while nourishing your baby and promoting healthy development.

After nine months of pregnancy and the miracle of childbirth, you may find yourself waiting for another miracle: the return of your pre-pregnancy body. Your post-pregnancy body not only looks unfamiliar, it also feels unfamiliar. Getting your body back after pregnancy means not just getting a flat belly but also getting back the way you move, the way you cope, the way you find the strength to face the day, and it means inspiring a lifetime love of movement in your little one. After you have a baby, you'll benefit more from exercise than at any other time in your life. But it isn't easy. Exercise after pregnancy is complicated by sleep deprivation, fatigue, breastfeeding, new responsibilities, and a multitude of other challenges. Finding guidance is also confusing, from the advice of friends who seem to magically return to their pre-pregnancy wardrobe to the exercise "secrets," workout fads, and quick techniques available through books, magazines, and the internet. The truth is, there is no magic. There are no secrets. Even better, there's scientific research-decades of it-that covers topics critical to recovery from pregnancy and childbirth. There is research to dispel myths about breastfeeding and exercise, research that covers the details of pregnancy's effects on the body, research to detail postpartum biomechanics, research to show the benefits of exercise for mothers and their babies, and research to guide the prevention and treatment of the most common injuries for new moms. The only trouble is, that research is squirreled away in a variety of medical journals, out of sight for the everyday mom. For the first time, that research is synthesized into a comprehensive guide for new moms. This book, written by Dr. Christine Iverson, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, athlete, and mom of two, lays that information out in an easy-to-follow guide with a step-by-step exercise progression. Christine will be your physical therapist next door, there to help you to fix your own body in a systematic, comprehensive, progressive, and challenging way from the inside out after giving birth.

Are you intrigued by the idea of working out during pregnancy, but think it can’t be safe? Are you unsure how the words fit and pregnancy actually make sense in the same sentence? If so, you’ve come to the right place. This easy-to-follow guide shows you how you can be fit and pregnant, whether you’re new to exercise or have been working out for years, and whether you’re in your second week of pregnancy or your 32nd. Fit Pregnancy For Dummies is for you if you’re pregnant, if you’re thinking about becoming pregnant, and You want to be as fit and healthy as you can be — whatever your current fitness level — without in any way jeopardizing your health or the health of your baby. This guide gives you the straight facts on: Staying safe when you exercise Developing a plan with your health provider Choosing the right equipment Modifying your routine for each trimester Eating well for nine months and beyond From yoga and swimming to weight training, aerobics, and much more, you’ll see how to get started with a fun, step-by-step fitness routine that will make your entire pregnancy easier to manage. Postpartum expert and prenatal fitness class instructor Catherine Cram and fitness expert Tere Stouffer Drenth give you the scoop on the activities that work best for pregnant women and how to set up a routine that works best for you. You’ll understand how a fit pregnancy helps you with delivery and postpartum shape-up. Plus, you get expert advice on activities to avoid, eating well, and staying motivated during and after your pregnancy, as well as: Dressing comfortably for your workout Warming up and stretching to increase flexibility and avoid injury Modifying your exercise routine Staying fit after giving birth Finding the time for exercise and motherhood Complete with special tips on exercising indoors, staying motivated, getting your family hooked on fitness, and helping your child grow up healthy and fit, Fit Pregnancy For Dummies is the key to exercising safely and staying fit throughout your pregnancy and beyond!