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Safe, Fun, Effective Exercise for Pregnant
Women and New Mothers
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Prenatal and Postnatal Exercise
Classes with Marie
San Francisco East Bay Area (West Contra Costa County)
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Mom & Baby
Postnatal Class Details
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Goals
The goals of the postnatal exercise classes are to:
- Provide a safe and appropriate exercise environment
- Define exercise expectations and realistic goals
- Provide for social interaction, support, motivation,
and encouragement
- Educate the participants about exercise as it relates
to postpartum recovery
- Increase or maintain fitness levels of the participants
- Promote mom and baby bonding
- Provide stimulation for baby
Components
The class includes the following components:
- Posture and body alignment
- Body awareness
- Cardio endurance
- Strength training
- Stretching
- Relaxation
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Class segments
Babies are incorporated throughout the class. For the standing
portions of the class, babies ride in Mom's front pack carrier;
for the floor work, babies lie close to Mom. Any mothers who
prefer to not carry babies in the front pack are still welcome
to join; their babies can simply lie on a baby blanket nearby.
The class is broken into the following segments:
- Warm-up. The warm-up involves large muscle activity,
joint preparation, and static stretching. Sometimes we recite
nursery rhymes and play children's music to get babys' attention.
- Cardio. The aerobic segment involves low impact
mild-to-moderate intensity movement. The choreography is
kept simple and speed of movement is slower (no greater
than 135 beats per minute) and more fluid than standard
high-intensity aerobic classes. Babies are carried in frontpacks.
The choreography arranges participants so babies can look
at each other (participants in circles or in pairs, facing
each other). Modifications for intensity are demonstrated
and participants are encouraged to adjust their intensity
based on their perceived exertion.
- Muscle strength and endurance. This segment includes
upper and lower body strength training, as well as abdominal
work. Kegels, lower back strength work, progressive abdominal
exercises, and arm and leg strength work are incorporated.
Babies are involved in exercises by using them as resistance,
doing "kiss the baby" push-ups, holding baby on thighs or
chest when doing abdominal exercises, etc.
- Cool-Down. The cool-down includes stretching and
relaxation. Babies are held on knees, laps, and are rocked
while doing mom flexibility work. Moms are encouraged to
gently bicycle baby's legs and make eye contact with their
babies during this time.
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