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Strolling Your Way to Fitness

Make Baby Your Exercise Partner

By Laura Cone

Women who exercise with their children model a positive lifestyle that makes fitness a priority. And exercising with other adults who share the same goals keeps many new mothers motivated.

Catherine Cram of Madison, Wis., an exercise physiologist specializing in prenatal and postpartum fitness and author of Fit Pregnancy For Dummies (Wiley Publishing, 2004), says there is no doubt in her mind new moms need one another.

"It's really the most important thing because women who have just had a baby have so many challenges with all the stresses going on," says Cram. "If you can find someone else who will meet you to exercise and you two are accountable to each other or as a group, your chance of including exercise as part of your lifestyle increases exponentially."

She says talking with other moms while exercising, even if it's not part of a structured class, can be cathartic and energizing. Aim to meet with other moms to exercise at least two or three times per week, Cram suggests.

At the same time, it's not necessary to jump into an exercise regimen until receiving a doctor's clearance. A woman should wait until she feels ready before exercising, Cram says.

"One of the warning signs and symptoms is if they are starting to bleed or having more increased bleeding after exercise, they probably are not ready to get started," she says. "Just start with something gentle. Start out with 15 to 20 minutes. Then build slowly."

Ideally, women should not wait until after they have their babies to begin exercising, according to Cram. "The researh is showing women who exercise throughout their pregnancies gain about eight pounds less and lose it much more quickly than women who have not exercised," Cram says. "So there is a tremendous benefit of not putting on the extra [weight]. They are maintaining their muscle and also using more calories, and that is critical. We find if women exercise during their pregnancy they just don't have the same problems as women who are inactive with losing that weight."

When it comes to exercising while pregnant, use common sense. Experts advise pregnant women to avoid bench presses or other forms of exercise that involve lying on the back.

Women who exercise also are better able to handle the rigors of labor and delivery, Cram says. Studies have shown babies are born with less body fat and have fewer problems with fetal heart rate increases when the mother exercises.

"There is anecdotal evidence that women retain about 10 pounds with each pregnancy, but what we are finding with women who exercise during their pregnancy and get started within several months postpartum is that many of them are in better shape than they were before getting pregnant and their muscle mass is better," Cram says.

Want to see more?

• Exercising with Your Baby Indoors
• Get Your Body Back: A Guide to Exercising After Baby
• Fitting Exercise into Your Busy Schedule
• Talk about it!

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