Pregnancy PT provides fitness for expecting Soldiers

By Chelsea Bissell, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Public AffairsDecember 5, 2014

Pregnancy PT
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- Pregnant and postpartum Soldiers now have a PT group tailored specifically to their needs in U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria.

Army Pregnancy Postpartum Physical Training, P3T for short, offers a PT program that maintains expectant Soldiers' fitness while providing education on their changing condition.

"During pregnancy, the body receives and processes differently," said P3T's noncommissioned officer in charge Staff Sgt. Lavern Mayhew, adding that regular unit PT may be too strenuous or jolting for expecting Soldiers.

In P3T, certified instructors lead the Soldiers through core strength exercises, emphasizing balance and their shifting center of gravity, four days a week. Once a week, the Soldiers attended classes taught by professionals on post-partum depression, at-home recovery, Army programs and health concerns.

This regular exercise also helps keep pregnant Soldiers strong during and after their pregnancy, says P3T's Noncommissioned Officer in Charge Staff Sgt. Lavern Mayhew.

"We have specific programs to keep their bodies used to working out," explained Mayhew. "If they continue to work out during pregnancy, when they're postpartum, it's easier to recover and return to a normal PT schedule with their unit."

Currently, P3T exercises are available only for Soldiers, but pregnant and postpartum civilians may join the group for education sessions.

For more information about P3T in Tower and Rose Barracks, please contact the following representatives:

For Tower Barracks, contact Staff Sgt. Lavern Mayhew at DSN 475-9220/9108, email at lavern.r.mayhew.mil@mail.mil.

For Rose Barracks, contact Sgt. 1st Class Stacie Downs at DSN 476-5404, email at stacie.n.downs.mil@mail.mil.

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