Issue Date: May 5, 2002
Our fitness expert has a baby!
Did pregnancy slow her down? Not much. Here's how she stayed in shape.
Oakes used Swiss balls for support as she worked out. By the third trimester, she de-emphasized strength training, cutting back to three sets of 15 to 20 reps using 3- to 5-pound weights, right.
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists made it official in February: Like everyone else, pregnant women should engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise five days a week. That was music to my ears, because I was expecting my first child in April and had been keeping as close to my normal routine as possible. My fitness routine is so integrated into my life, there was no question whether to continue it.
Here's how I went about it:
The first trimester
I was very lucky -- I didn't get morning sickness, and nausea was easily cured by eating. I continued walking, running, lifting weights, stretching and doing moderate abdominal work. To avoid overheating, I ran inside on a "soft" treadmill in a well-ventilated room. I traded in my cardio weight-training sessions -- medicine ball tosses, rope jumping and jumping squats -- for more moderate sets and repetitions. There were days I was so tired it wasn't easy to drag myself to the gym. But I persevered, because exercising helped make the waves of exhaustion more bearable.
The second trimester
In my fourth month, I continued to run, albeit at a slower pace to keep my heart rate at 140 beats per minute. I modified my weight training by sitting instead of standing, to avoid balance problems. (Benches with back rests are an especially good choice.) I also started using a support for balance when doing lunges. And I started keeping my head higher than my belly at all times to avoid obstructing blood flow to my brain.
In my fifth month, the joy of carrying my baby became more real. As my body expanded, I could no longer wear my pre-pregnancy workout clothes, but I found it's not necessary to opt for long T-shirts or baggy sweatpants. I tried the new Liz Lange/Nike Maternity workout clothes, which support, breathe and look stylish enough that you can run into Starbucks after exercise class.
On a visit to Dallas, I headed to the Cooper Fitness Center, where I started my career 15 years ago. I worked with my good friend Paul Nally, a fitness trainer, to update my exercise plan to take me safely through the second trimester. I was most concerned about how to improve my balance, keep my blood pressure low, avoid back pain and do safe abdominal moves and alternative cardio workouts. My program was not designed to lose weight or improve my fitness level, but rather to help me maintain consistent activity.
I started to use machines instead of free weights for strength training, because you can control the movement of the weights more with machines, and there's less chance of getting hurt. For a minute or two at a time I balanced on a BOSU Balance Trainer. Walking, hiking and recumbent biking became my cardio mainstay for the rest of my pregnancy.
For ab work I relied on a supported crunch, propping up my head and shoulders with pillows or a Swiss ball. I was now basically carrying a medicine ball around my waist 24/7, but I found I could relieve pressure on my lower back with a few daily stretches. I enjoyed the videos "The Method: Baby and Mom Prenatal Yoga and Yoga Journal's Prenatal Yoga". Both are gentle, safe and specific for pregnant women's needs.
The third trimester
Sleeping became more difficult as I got larger. The added size made me feel awkward and made my daily fitness routine much more difficult. I relied on the treadmill and continued walking at 4 mph for 30 to 45 minutes in the seventh month, but by the eighth month I was down to 3.5 mph -- mainly because every time the baby kicked, he pressed on my bladder, hit my ribs or caused shortness of breath!
I began a more conservative form of toning, relying on pliés, leg lifts and body squats instead of weight training. For my upper body, I did chest and shoulder presses, triceps kickbacks, biceps curls and push-ups. My belly hit the floor long before my chest during push-ups, so standing "wall push-ups" worked better.
Even still, in my ninth month I pulled a leg muscle by simply stretching. The hormone relaxin (which is produced during pregnancy) loosens the joints, making us more prone to pulls and injuries. So when you stretch, be sure to limit your range of motion and keep all movements slow and controlled.
I'm proud to have exercised my way through pregnancy, but I'm ready to take the recommended four to six weeks' rest to recuperate and spend time with my family. When I'm ready to get back in shape, there's a running stroller in the garage waiting for my baby and me!
On April 1, Stephanie Oakes gave birth to a 7-pound, 7-ounce boy named Luke.
Photo by PETER FREED for USA WEEKEND
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