Home > Fit City > Archives > 2008 > July > 28 > Entry
Exercise and pregnancy
Sometimes, when women find out they’re pregnant, they quit exercising. They’re worried that too much exertion might harm their growing baby.
I’ve written before about prenatal fitness, and the importance of maintaining a reasonable exercise program during pregnancy. It’s always smart to consult your physician, but there’s a way to exercise safely. And it may benefit your baby in the long run.
Now Austin moms-to-be have a new resource in Total Mommy Fitness.
Tatum Rebelle recently unveiled the new company, which works with pregnant women and new mothers in their own homes, helping them work exercise into their busy daily routines and evaluating their nutrition plans. She also is helping to dispel myths about moms and working out.
Rebelle, 26, an ex-drill sergeant for the U.S. Army, used to work as a trainer at gyms in Scottsdale, Dallas and Fort Worth. She decided to start the company after noticing that many women stop going to the gym when they get pregnant, and many never return after they give birth. “I saw a huge need for this. I was looking for a resource as a trainer and couldn’t find one,” Rebelle says.
Now she is certified in personal training and prenatal and postnatal fitness by the American Council on Exercise. She’s also a member of the Mayor’s Fitness Council.
She and her team of trainers work one-on-one with clients, making sure they develop routines they can do between feeding babies, getting kids to school and heading to work. Total Mommy Fitness offers programs for women before they get pregnant, during and even after pregnancy, and when they have toddlers and young children.
“If a woman is pregnant, we work hand in hand with her doctor to make sure we’re not doing anything that goes against his or her recommendations,” Rebelle says. “We’re experts in pregnancy exercise, we know what they can do and can’t do and how to modify it accordingly.”
The program is individualized, focusing on each family and its specific needs. “One mom may have a problem with nutrition, another with getting motivated to exercise. We really sit down with them and go into their home and learn about their life and adapt accordingly,” Rebelle says. “We make it realistic and feasible for them.”
A package of 10 sessions starts at $850. Trainers meet clients at their home, so their child can nap or play during the session, or at a park, where the child can play.
“We start by assessing needs. If nutrition is their biggest problem, we start at the grocery store. We walk through the aisles, not telling them specific things to buy but showing them how to shop so they don’t leave with a basket full of junk food,” Rebelle says. “We get to know the person.”
Nutritional counseling is part of every session, and most clients keep a food log. “I never build a plan that says eat this or eat that for breakfast or lunch, but I’ll look at the log and we’ll talk about it,” Rebelle says.
Total Mommy Fitness also offers on-line training. If kids or dad want to get involved, Rebelle encourages a family session. For more information, go to www.totalmommyfitness.com, call 512-428-5673 or email info@totalmommyfitness.com.
Here are Rebelle’s Top 10 Myths about exercise and pregnancy::
- Myth: Exercise causes low birth weight. Total Mommy Fitness: Babies born to mothers who exercise are often born about 10 percent leaner, but with normal height and cranial circumference. They are more likely to remain leaner and fit throughout their lives.
- Myth: No weight training. Total Mommy Fitness: Resistance training is a vital part of any fitness program and can be maintained throughout pregnancy. Going slowly and using good form is important to prevent injury, but that is true whether pregnant or not.
- Myth: Exercise must be low-intensity. Total Mommy Fitness: The intensity of a pregnancy workout is a direct reflection of a woman’s pre-pregnancy fitness level. The same intensity can be maintained, and will naturally decrease as pregnancy progresses. Even if a woman has never exercised before, she can work out during pregnancy.
- Myth: Exercising in the first trimester will cause miscarriage. Total Mommy Fitness: A regular fitness regimen can be maintained from the beginning until delivery in a healthy pregnancy, with minimal modifications. There is no connection between exercise and miscarriage.
- Myth: Do not elevate heart rate over 140 beats per minute. Total Mommy Fitness: Women will often naturally have a higher heart rate at times during pregnancy. It is more important to listen to your own body, and use perceived exertion. Pregnant women should be able to speak comfortably while exercising.
- Myth: Do not elevate body temperature. Total Mommy Fitness: Pregnant women are better able to dissipate heat. Research has shown no abnormalities or fetal distress associated with increased body temperature caused by exercise.
- Myth: Entangled umbilical cord. Total Mommy Fitness: Exercise reduces the incidence of entanglement.
- Myth: Premature or prolonged labor. Total Mommy Fitness: There is no correlation found between premature labor and exercise, though it can reduce labor time by about 30 percent.
- Myth: Exercise can cause fetal distress and difficulties for baby after birth. Total Mommy Fitness: Remaining active during pregnancy actually reduces fetal distress and babies adapt faster to the outside and handle labor better, usually receiving better Apgar scores.
- Myth: Do no perform abdominal exercises during pregnancy. Total Mommy Fitness: Women can continue abdominal exercises, ensuring that they are doing so safely. They should not perform exercises lying on their back after the first trimester, and avoid twisting exercises if they have Diastasis Recti (separation of the abdominal muscles).
Here are some scenes from the opening party of Total Mommy Fitness last weekend:
Comments
Click here to report comment abuse.
By Lisa Clark
July 29, 2008 7:49 AM | Link to this
This is good information. Thanks!
By Monika Worsley
July 29, 2008 2:33 PM | Link to this
Great article—-I’m glad to see Total Mommy Fitness helping to dispel some of the myths about exercising during pregnancy. Tatum Rebelle trained me after the birth of my second child, and it was great to be able to work out in my home while my children either napped or were included in my work out routine. Total Mommy Fitness rocks!
By lisa
July 29, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this
This article is fantastic.. I am so thankful there are people like Tatum and her team that can help educate me about my pregnancy. I just forwarded this along to a friend of mine who is pregnant as well. We will absolutely be in touch— maybe you can train us both at the same time!!
By lisa
July 29, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this
This article is fantastic.. I am so thankful there are people like Tatum and her team that can help educate me about my pregnancy. I just forwarded this along to a friend of mine who is pregnant as well. We will absolutely be in touch— maybe you can train us both at the same time!!
By lisa
July 29, 2008 10:34 PM | Link to this
This article is fantastic.. I am so thankful there are people like Tatum and her team that can help educate me about my pregnancy. I just forwarded this along to a friend of mine who is pregnant as well. We will absolutely be in touch— maybe you can train us both at the same time!!
By lisa
July 31, 2008 12:08 AM | Link to this
Fantastic information here! I am definitely interested in hearing more about Total Mommy Fitness. I have another pregnant girlfriend I am going to forward this article to. Perhaps Tatum can train us both!
By Brian Yacktman
August 5, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this
I’m glad to have come across this article. Tatum actually trained my wife last year before the birth of our third child. My wife had much more energy throughout the entire pregnancy, and her recovery was by far the quickest of the three (and she had a C-section). The results spoke for themselves, and because of the results, my wife continues to train with them today.