Prenatal Exercise, Diabetes, Pregnancy

6 fresh prenatal fitness trends

• HULA HOOPING It’s part exercise, part dance and lots of fun. Hoopnotica CEO Gabriella Redding recommends the Hoopnotica Hoopdance Basics DVD using Hoopnotica Preg-O hoops ($40 from hoopnotica.com), which are lighter and wider than traditional hoops. “Aside from any move that requires the hooper to jump, every move we teach is perfectly safe during pregnancy,” says Redding

• SPINNING There’s no impact and no chance of falling, and you can hang with the group while exercising at your own pace. As your belly grows, eliminate out-of-the-saddle movements, which can put excess pressure on your knees, advises fitness expert LaReine Chabut, author of 2006’s Lose That Baby Fat!

• WII FIT With Nintendo’s Wii Fit (nintendo.com/wiifit/launch) you use a balance board to control on-screen action with your body movements. The yoga, aerobic and strengthtraining games are easily adaptable for pregnancy simply by using common sense, says Chabut, but skip the balance games. To make the workouts easier, Chabut recommends entering an age older than you actually are. Be sure to wear sturdy athletic shoes instead of going barefoot.

• PRENATAL PERSONAL TRAINERS Fitness professionals with prenatal expertise are increasingly popular, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE). A session or two per trimester can help you stay motivatedand a certified trainer will modify your routine as your body changes. To find a qualified trainer, visit acefitness.org.

• BELLY DANCING “Belly dancing helps strengthen your pelvic floor and core muscles, which is great for labor,” says Vionna Jones, owner of The Hot Mama Fitness Studio in Bethesda, Md., which offers classes to expectant moms. (To get your hips in motion, go to fitpregnancy.com/bellydancing.)

• FIT4BABY CLASSES From the folks who developed Stroller Strides (strollerstrides.com), the popular mom-and-baby exercise classes, comes Fit4Baby, a total-body workout that includes strength training, cardio and flexibility exercises done either indoors or outdoors.