Changing Shape

Written by physiotherapists who run pre and post-natal exercise programmes, this book offers sensible advice on exercising for women who are pregnant and who have just delivered, and includes two 20-minute programmes featuring 30 exercises in each. This is a book for women who wish to gain or maintain general fitness by supplementing recreational activities, such as walking, swimming and stationary bike riding, with exercises they can perform safely at home. It also serves as a guide for women wishing to prepare physically and actively for birth. Each exercise is illustrated with step-by-step photographs, and line drawings provide extra information about variations within a routine. The book also provides essential information on how the body changes and how this affects exercising. It aims to help the individual develop a safe programme to answer their own needs and combines aerobic activities with the exercise programs. Newborn babies can be included in the exercise sessions.