Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy: How to Stay Fit, Keep Safe, and Have a Healthy Baby - Softcover

Lundgren, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1579547478 ISBN 13: 9781579547479

Publisher: Rodale Books, 2003

Synopsis

Each year, about 785,000 women runners who are pregnant or who have recently given birth hear conflicting fitness advice from friends, family, and even doctors. Save for a handful of magazine articles, these women have nowhere to turn for accurate, up-to-date information.

Until now. The Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy by Chris Lundgren is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive look at the how-tos and benefits of running for expectant mothers. And the benefits abound. Even a modest pregnancy running program gives women a reduced risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and premature birth. It also leads to fewer cesareans, faster recovery after delivery, and even smarter babies!

From the worldwide authority on running, the Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy offers the latest, most detailed information available, along with real-life tips to help you succeed. Inside you'll find:

- Advice from experts including sports gynecologists, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists

- The most current heart rate and training guidelines

- Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy stretching and strength programs

- Cross-training suggestions including yoga, Pilates, swimming, and more

- Running-specific menu plans for a healthy pregnancy

- Strategies for preventing injuries

- Money-saving tips for choosing the best maternity running gear

- Guidance for postpartum running

The Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy gets to the bottom of the how-much-is-too-much debate once and for all. Pregnant runners will never be puzzled by conflicting advice again.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Introduction

The seed for this book was planted during the fourth week of my first pregnancy. I wanted something that would tell me it was okay to keep running, that my baby would be fine if I continued the sport I'd pursued my entire adult life. After a desperate and unsuccessful search at the Barnes & Noble near my home in Anchorage, Alaska--the "Pregnancy" shelves, the "Sports" shelves, the "Exercise" shelves--I moved on to the two other major bookstores in town, only to find the same disappointing results.

At my first prenatal checkup, I timidly mentioned my running. "That's fine," the nurse said. "Just keep your heart rate under 140 beats per minute or you could divert oxygen from your womb." I turned green, not from morning sickness, but from the memory of a chest-pounding 8-miler I'd run the night before taking my home pregnancy test. I swore to myself I'd be more careful. During each subsequent run, I'd stop every 3 to 4 minutes and place a finger on my neck to check my pulse. It took little to nudge my heart rate over the limit, so stopping and walking became part of my routine. I began to enjoy my runs less. My frustration grew until I finally quit and replaced running with light workouts on a stairclimbing machine.

My first baby (a boy) was born a healthy 7 pounds 9 ounces and apparently unscathed by my early pregnancy misstep. After confirming my second pregnancy, I shopped again for that elusive book, certain that in the 2 years since my first pregnancy some writer had filled the gap. Again I came away empty-handed--but inspired. The Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy had started to germinate. I dug into the piles of research on exercise during pregnancy (and finally learned the truth about heart rate), recorded my experiences in a journal, interviewed medical professionals, and talked with all the moms I could find who had run through their pregnancies.

My second child also was born healthy. Nine months of running had diverted nothing from the womb, which became obvious when the baby emerged at a whopping 8 pounds 10 ounces and sporting an impressive set of lungs that he put to use immediately.

We all have different reasons for wanting to run through pregnancy (you'll find many outlined in the pages that follow). I love the physical and emotional boost I get from running, and I didn't want to let go of that for 9 months. And, like many runners, I thrive on goals. Four weeks postpartum, I began to intersperse some running with walking. Ten months postpartum I ran the marathon I'd fantasized about during my pregnancy. But that's just my story. Pregnancy is a highly individual experience, and your journey through prenatal and postpartum running will likely unfold differently from mine and that of the other runners quoted and profiled in this book. You'll want to listen to your own body and "run your own pregnancy."

Having run all the way through my second pregnancy, I've now answered the burning questions I had when I scoured bookshelves for the volume you now hold in your hands. I've organized the book in a read-as-you-grow format--trying to place answers at the most relevant moments of your pregnancy's progression. Since no two pregnancies are alike, if you don't find what you're looking for in a particular month, read ahead to the next. By the time you finish this book, you'll be armed with the most up-to-date advice from the experts--including exercise physiologists, sports gynecologists, and moms just like you. And you'll have fortified your mind and body for the unique experience of being a runner while becoming a mother.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rodale Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1579547478
• ISBN 13: 9781579547479
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 223