Maternal Fitness: Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery [Paperback]

Julie Tupler (Author), Andrea Thompson (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ellie McGrath,MarathonerThe work paid off. My doctor was impressed with how strong I was. Maternal Fitness is an excellent combination of exercise, education, and relaxation.

Stephanie YoungHealth and Fitness Editor, Glamour MagazineMaternal Fitness made a big difference in my pregnancy and birthing experience when I was a mother-to-be for the second time. I felt great -- very strong and energetic -- throughout my pregnancy and into my delivery.

Ellen Manos, M.D.(Obstetrician and Mother)Women [trained by Maternal Fitness] feel in control of their bodies, both during and after pregnancy. I can say this with absolute assurance, since I was one of their clients.

Product Description

Get Your Body Ready for the Marathon of Labor!

If you're newly pregnant, you're probably watching your diet carefully, getting plenty of rest, and preparing for the arrival of your new baby. You're also thinking about the big day itself and what the experience of labor will be like. Even if you're following a regular fitness program, you'll want to do everything you can to strengthen and prepare your body for the rigors of labor.

Maternal Fitness features clearly illustrated exercises that focus specifically on the muscle groups you'll use throughout labor, especially the transverse abdominals -- the stomach muscles that play a critical role during delivery. A powerful set of transverse abs can speed labor and delivery and make for a quick recovery. By learning how to strengthen your abdominals and relax your pelvic floor muscles, you'll be able to push more effectively.

While the Maternal Fitness program is designed specifically for the big moment, it also has other benefits, from minimizing backache and fatigue to giving you a welcome head start on getting back into shape after childbirth. Developed by a professional trainer who is also a registered nurse and childbirth educator, the Maternal Fitness program is safe for you and your baby and easy to do. Once learned, it can be incorporated into any workout.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; Original edition (April 10, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684802953
• ISBN-13: 978-0684802954
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #62,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #10 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Pregnancy
  #73 in	Books > Nonfiction > Women's Studies > Motherhood

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book! My back pain went away and I feel great!, March 28, 2001

By	E (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maternal Fitness: Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery (Paperback)

The book is easy to read and after doing the exercises for two months, I feel soooo much better. I really have to do the exercises every day to make a difference. This is the only book that teaches safe abdominals to do during pregnancy. It teaches you exactly how to do them correctly. I am a Personal Fitness Trainer working in NYC for 15 years and this is The book on how to exercise correctly during pregnancy. Julie Tupler knows so much about the changes your body goes through and how to cope with it all. This is a MUST for not just surviving pregnancy, but thriving while pregnanr!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I was hoping for!, July 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Maternal Fitness: Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery (Paperback)

I just received this book "used" from one of the retailers. I got a great deal! The order came rather quickly and the book is in excellent condition.

I like what I see in this book. This is just what I was looking for! The exercises and stretches are explained in a simple manner and there are illustrations which also guide you to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. It is a good book for beginners. You will learn exercises to help strengthen your back, upper body, lower body and ABDOMINALS. The goal is to help you have a healthy pregnancy, efficient labor, and quick recovery.

I'm glad to finally find a book that deals with strengthening the abdominal muscles CORRECTLY. Some books tell you not to work the abdominals at all during pregnancy, but how else are you going to push that baby out??? This book teaches you the correct way to safely strengthen them. Great book.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for concept, one star for practicality, October 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Maternal Fitness: Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery (Paperback)

"You wouldn't run a marathon without training for it; why would you give birth without training for it?" As a marathoner, this philosophy appealed to me. But the "maternal fitness routine" takes ninety minutes. As a wife and working woman, I don't have a spare ninety minutes each day for all of these little lifts and squeezes and muscle contractions. Tupler's basic moves are good, and I do the kegels and abdominal holds every day at my desk. But I've had to abandon the "routine" in favor of my own half hour of daily exercise.