Weight and watch: Exercise is good for expecting mothers

Last year, when Anitha Gunasekaran, a 26-year-old housewife from Chennai, conceived for the first time, she thought she?d never be able to fit into her favourite clothes again. While her tummy bloated gradually, Gunasekaran went into a depression ? hung up on the feeling that her body would never be the same. Without proper food and exercise, her mental fatigue escalated. Finally, she was taken to a counsellor who used psychotherapy to ease her stress.

But this is something that needn?t happen to you. You can deliver a baby and even slip into your fave jeans, provided you are on the right workout for would-be mothers. So whether you swear by yoga or by the gym, there are a number of options to follow. Done regularly and under expert guidance, these workouts can work wonders for you and your child. Here?s a quick look at some of the choices you have:

Yoga

?Yoga doesn?t just look after the physical needs of the mother and child. It also involves counselling, so that the woman feels upbeat, confident. A yoga session for the pregnant would generally involve a number of asanas for easy breathing, body flexibility and mental calm,? says Gautam Sen, a yoga expert trained at the Bihar School of Yoga. ?Training can begin at the first month of pregnancy and can continue till the time of delivery,? adds Sen. However, there cannot be general lessons for the pregnant as training needs to be ?case-specific?. ?Our asanas for a first-time pregnancy will be different from the ones for someone who?s had a miscarriage,? he points out.

Regular

?You don?t have to stop going to the gym because you?re expecting,? says fitness professional Preetom Mukherjee Roy. Whether it?s cardiovascular or free-hand exercises, make sure you do it regularly in the pre- and post-natal stages, he advises. ?You can try out the Lamaz technique, a nerve pressure method that helps you breathe easier and deeper. It builds up strength for the delivery. Once you?ve picked up the basics of this method, you can practise at home,? adds Mukherjee Roy.

Dance therapy

Bangalore-based Bharat Natyam and Kathak dancer, A.V. Satyanarayana, has come up with an unusual workout for pregnant women ? dance therapy. ?Most women nowadays treat pregnancy as an unnatural state. They stop all exercise. This causes stiffness in the body,? he says. And that, according to him, is the reason for an increasing number of Caesarean deliveries. His dance movements are built around domestic chores. He?s given a story format to the dance and named it ?Yashodha Krishna?.

Satyanarayana had got his dance therapy approved by three gynaecologists in Bangalore and Mumbai, before introducing it in his classes. ?I?ve trained only 15 women in two years,? he says. The reason for a thin turnout, he feels, is the apprehension that women harbour about exercising while pregnant.

Satyanarayana?s therapy has won him a lot of attention. He was invited to his therapy at the European Congress of Pre-natal Medicine and the International Pre-natal Congress among other places.

Shoot the queries

Q: What?s the first step new moms should take toward getting into shape

A: First, they need to be mentally ready, which means that you are no longer feeling overwhelmed. Next, you start slowly with the consent of the doctor. This could mean walking for 10 minutes, thrice a week, then gradually increasing your minutes as you feel comfortable.

Exercise performed four days a week regularly, along with a good eating plan, will shed kilos. The key is being consistent and patient. Strength training at least two days a week will tone your abdominal muscles.

Q: Are there specific exercises recommended for post-pregnancy?

A: A sample exercise prescription for post-partum pregnancy would be walking or using a cardiovascular machine four to five days a week, starting at 20 minutes, working up to 50, making sure that you can talk comfortably yet feel like you?re getting a brisk walk.

Q: I am 37 and mother of a two-year-old. We?re trying to conceive baby no. 2 and am thinking of starting 15 minutes of yoga a day. Is it too late to start?

A: No, it?s not too late to start. Start yoga now. Your instructor should be modifying moves as your pregnancy progresses.

Source: WebMD

Stay on the move

• ?If you are not a gym-goer, then it?s not imperative for you to enrol for special classes at the time of pregnancy,? advises Preetom Mukherjee Roy. Just do your job and stay fit.

• Walking is a good option. Take long walks, if possible twice a day.

• Kegel exercises, yoga and Pilates are recommended.

• Free-hand exercises like side-bending, arm lift, rotation of ankles, neck rotation, etc. can be done at home.

• Read the latest pregnancy guides for more tips.

• Make sure you get enough rest. This is more important for those who have an outside job to keep. Get enough sleep but be on the move.

• Don?t give up your usual share of domestic work. You can still dry clothes, iron, cook and clean. But don?t lift heavy weights. And wear comfortable shoes or sandals.

Rapid weight loss in one or two months after pregnancy, like Madonna for instance, is unrealistic. Celebrities are able to do so because they have tons of help, money and personal trainers. Please do not compare yourself with magazine pictures of celebrity new moms