Beginning in the fall of 2012, Eastern Michigan University’s School of Health Promotion and Human Performance will offer a new one-credit-hour mommy and baby fitness course; a 15-week prenatal and post-partum exercise course designed to teach women to incorporate fitness with pregnancy and motherhood during their childbearing years.
But EMU graduate student and the course’s instructor Andrea Workman said the class is open to all women.
Workman said the primary goal of the class is to educate women on the benefits of exercise during pregnancy.
“The exercises introduced in this class will involve gradual increases in physical activity throughout the semester. Appropriate positional exercises, including resistance training, cardiovascular training, and flexibility using various equipment will be performed during the class,” she said
Students will have opportunities to bring their infants to class so they can participate in the workouts. Workman’s plans are to create regular exercise programs that will include the infants as well.
“We will discuss ways to integrate exercise with the demands of motherhood,” she said.
Workman said there are no medical or health restrictions required to register for the class.
“Before the semester begins, I will be emailing all of the enrolled students a physical activity readiness medical examination for pregnant women. This is a written health screen that will determine if participants require medical restrictions that may inhibit or restrict physical activity. Special exercises will be introduced for any students that have any medical limitations determined by a physician. It is important that expecting women take all necessary precautions before we begin to exercise.”
Workman said she hopes students will continue to reap the long-term benefits of regular physical activity even after the class has ended.
“I am hoping that the ladies involved provide a support system for each other and use exercise to provide a fun social experience,” she said.
Workman is currently completing a graduate degree in exercise physiology and has an undergraduate degree in sports medicine. She is a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor who has taught fitness exercise classes for five years.
For additional course information contact Workman at aworkma1@emich.edu.
For students who are interested in taking the Mommy and Baby Fitness course, it is PEGN 177 – CRN 17332. The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. in the REC/IM.
