What the Pros are saying about exercise and pregnancy!

A Whole New Game

"I have yet to be able to define an upper limit on exercise for pregnant women," says James F. Clapp III, M.D., a professor of reproductive biology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who has conducted research on exercise and pregnancy for the past 15 years. "We've had pregnant women run a marathon, complete a triathlon and do a 25k cross country ski race."

If you aren't already a marathoner or triathlete, however, you'll want to be more cautious about your prenatal exercise regimen. Check with your doctor and read the guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Now is not the time to add intensity to your workout, but you'll probably be safe maintaining your present training schedule - until you can't.

Research indicates that exercise during pregnancy is safe and effective not just for women who were fit before getting pregnant, but also for those who had been sedentary. A 1994 University of Miami study showed that women who didn't begin doing aerobics and strength training until their second trimester still significantly improved their cardiovascular fitness.