Physical Therapy
Moms In Motion
What it is: An exercise class specifically designed to train and rehabilitate the muscles used in labor and delivery, improve aerobic fitness, decrease or help avoid back pain and injury during and after pregnancy.
Who can Attend: Any mom who has recently delivered in the past 6 months, or any expecting mother.
What we do: Monitor resting heart rate and blood pressure; perform low impact aerobics sessions, abdominal and lumbar strengthening, flexibility, and total body toning routine.
Where: Rusk County Memorial Hospital Chapel located on the main level.
When: Please call 532-5561 Ext. 301 for upcoming course dates and times.
Cost: $10.00 if delivering at RCMH, $20.00 for all others.
REGISTRATION FORMS: Available at Rehab Desk in the lower level of RCMH, or at your doctor's office. Please pre-register and turn in registrations at the Rehab Department desk.
CONTACT: Physical Therapy Department, 532-5561 ext. 301 for further questions.
Benefits of prenatal exercise*
EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON MATERNAL HEALTH
- Fewer symptoms of nausea, fatigue, leg cramps, round ligament pain and backache
- Return to pre-pregnancy state quicker
- Stronger cardiorespiratory system, meaning a pregnant woman will better be able to tolerate the stresses of pregnancy and labor
- Overall weight gain was 8 pounds less in exercising moms
EFFECT ON COURSE OF LABOR
- High frequency exercisers had a 6.7% rate of C-Sections, as sedentary controls had 28.1% rate.
- 51% of exercise group opted for pain relief, compared to 78% of sedentary moms.
- 29% of exercising moms required induction of labor, compared with 58% of controls.
- 5% of exercisers had forceps delivery, compared with 18% of control group.
- Decreased on average time in Stage 2 labor - 27 minutes in the physically active women, versus 59 minutes average in the inactive women.
EFFECTS OF MATERNAL EXERCISE ON FETAL HEALTH
- May help reduce incident of premature labor and low birth weight
- Placenta grows at a 1/3 faster rate in women who exercise
- Babies of exercising moms had slightly higher Apgar scores
- Babies of exercisers had greater vascularization, and were better ready to withstand the stress of labor.
*Statistics taken from Prenatal and Postpartum Exercise Design, Hyatt and Cram, 2003.
