Pregnant and fit; HAWC offers duo of classes for expectant moms

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubbs
  • Thunderbolt Staff Writer
MACDILL AFB, Fla. --  There is no point in a woman's life that health and fitness are more important than during pregnancy, which is why the Health and Wellness Center pays so much attention to ensuring expectant mothers have the tools they need to help ensure the health of mother and child.

New classes in pregnancy fitness are being held the first Thursday of the month at the HAWC, providing the information and guidance moms-to-be need to know. Aaron Craig, a health educator at the HAWC, heads up the program, which she notes does not involve actual exercise as part of the class.

"It's educational and more of a classroom environment," she said. "There are demonstrations of exercise techniques, but no actual exercise as part of the class itself."

The idea is to provide guidelines and fitness information, as well as diet and other factors that influence the health of mother and child, said Ms. Craig. Items like elastic resistance bands are distributed, and moms are encouraged to use them on their own time at home.

"Once they have the basics and information they need, they are free to use it throughout their pregnancy, and even afterward to maintain health," Ms. Craig said.

To enroll in the Pregnancy Fitness Workshop, call the HAWC at 828-4739.

For those women who do want to exercise in a group environment, the HAWC offers a prenatal exercise class Tuesdays at 3 p.m. in the aerobics room at the base gym. The class is scheduled to run through Dec. 15, but may continue on after that if there is enough demand. Contact the HAWC at the above number for more information.