Gym Caters to New and Expectant Moms

For most of this century, pregnant women were cautioned to take it easy. Steer clear of strenuous activities. Curb exercise to a minimum.

Try telling that to Wendy Toone, who was about eight months pregnant when she showed up last year at PregnaGym, a workout center for expectant and postpartum mothers in West Hills.

“I wanted to improve the odds of having a healthy delivery,” Toone said after her Friday aerobics class as she cradled 13-month-old Jackson, who was born in August 1997. The Calabasas woman said she used the gym even more after she gave birth.

Until 1994, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology advised pregnant women to confine strenuous exertion to periods of 15 minutes or less. In recent years, however, studies have shown that women who exercise during pregnancy gain less fat and have easier deliveries than their sedentary counterparts.

Part of West Hills Hospital, PregnaGym is supervised by registered nurses and staffed by a regular baby sitter who provides child care while women lift weights, do aerobics or practice yoga in the next room. The Nautilus machines are specially designed to accommodate pregnant women, said Becky DeLeon, a nurse who manages the gym.

“What we’re finding out is that it’s perfectly OK to exercise really intensely, under supervision,” DeLeon said as a cluster of women did leg-lifts beside her. The workouts increase cardiovascular activity, teach breathing techniques, and increase strength and muscle tone--all of which come in handy whether you’re giving birth or chasing after a 2-year-old, DeLeon said.

Lined with play pens and baby swings, photos of toothless newborns and a list of babies born in September to PregnaGym moms, the gym also provides a social network for new mothers. The classes have spawned several play groups for children of women who met at PregnaGym, Toone said.

“I think the best thing I’ve gotten out of this gym is it’s a new peer group for me,” said Julia Caprio, a former high school teacher whose second child is due in December. “I put my career on hold, and I really missed being around other adults.”