Review British Columbia Medical Journal July 2006

Fit to Deliver: An Innovative Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness Program. By Karen Nordahl, MD, Carl Petersen BPE, BSc(PT), and Renee Jeffreys, MSc. Vancouver: Hartley & Marks Publishers Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-88179-208-X. Paperback,163 pages. $24.95.

This book is written by a physician, a physical therapist, and an exercise physiologist. The stated goal of the book is to “give women the ability to modify their existing fitness program (or, for those new to exercise, to start a program) and to go one step further by offering state-of-the-art training techniques to better prepare for delivery and the postpartum period.”

The authors suggest that the first two chapters of the book be read prior to other chapters. In these first two chapters, the benefits of exercise for both the mother and the baby are outlined, as well as the absolute and relative contraindications to aerobic exercise during pregnancy. The authors then go on to outline a detailed program of exercise based on building core strength.

There are chapters on warm-up, cool-down, and stretching routines, cardiovascular training (including a walk-run program much like that proposed for Sun Run training in Vancouver), resistance training, balance training, relaxation techniques, and guidelines for adapting these approaches to the postpartum period.

The authors make claims that would entice any woman into their fit-to-deliver program. For example, they say that with a moderate exercise program, women have a reduced time in the “active stage” of labor and children have greater neuro-developmental scores in oral language and motor areas when tested at age 5. Although there are general references at the end of the book, specific references for facts such as these are not provided.

The book is nicely laid out. Pencil drawings of parts of the body and various muscles are clear and aid in the reader’s understanding of the purpose of each exercise. There are photographs of pregnant women demonstrating the various exercises, and on every second page, there is a “Tips from the Team” box, which emphasizes the interdisciplinary approach this book takes.

There are aspects of the book that reflect the upper middle class experiences of the authors. They recommend that every woman work with a qualified fitness professional during the pregnancy and suggest that women invest in good exercise clothing.

The program requires time and discipline. However, because of the clarity of its presentation and the range of exercise options not often seen in pregnancy exercise books, I do recommend this book.

— Elaine Carty, MSN
Professor and Director
UBC Midwifery Program