By Kim Fischer For those of you reading this who are massage therapists, you were probably trained in your massage programs to massage pregnant women. Working with a pregnant woman on an exercise program has its own precautions. Often times, whether massaging or training, we have to "do" our research to determine an appropriate course of action. Probably the best place to start as a resource for exercise and pregnancy is through the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or ACOG. There is also helpful information in the ACSM Fit Society Page that is a free publication to non-ACSM members (acsm.org). Look in the fall 2006 issue for an article entitled "Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Postpartum Period." The American Council on Exercise has numerous online classes related to this topic including pregnancy and strength training, prenatal and postpartum exercise design, and mom and baby exercise. A trainer might want to us
What to get a pregnant woman is beyond a physical gift but also useful information to make her and her baby hail and healthy during and after pregnancy.