PULSE WORK IT, BABY.

It's understandable that some expectant mothers blow off their exercise routines - they often are tired, uncomfortable and unaccustomed to moving around with the added weight.

Exercise, though, may actually be the key to fighting off this fatigue.

``The Pregnant Couple's Guide to Working Out Together'' by Isa Herrera (Wiley; $16.95) lists the benefits of physical fitness for the mother-to- be, father-to-be and baby-to-be.

Exercising during pregnancy helps a woman prepare for the most physically challenging period of her life, says Herrera, who owns the New York-based training company Fitness Help. Specific weight training, flexibility and cardiovascular activities will make a pregnant woman's body stronger, she explains.

According to the book, consistent exercise rewards the expectant mother in several ways.

-- By strengthening muscles, women fight back against discomforts such as hip pain, lower and upper backaches and pelvic pain.

-- Exercise provides a psychological boost and helps with depression by increasing endorphins.

-- Exercise improves circulation, helping to prevent varicose veins.

-- Women who exercise tend to have larger placentas and pass more nutrients to their babies.

Herrera says mothers who exercise also tend to have babies who are bigger, less colicky and more alert.

Partners who exercise improve their own strength and flexibility so they'll be able to support their partner during labor without becoming fatigued or injured.

Herrera does, though, remind all would-be exercisers to get permission from their doctors before starting a new fitness routine.

- Associated Press

TRI TIPS: What stands out about Eric Harr's ``Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week'' (Rodale Books; $18.95) is how reasonable it all sounds. For the couch potato, training for week one goes like this: 30 minutes of swimming on Tuesday, 30 minutes of power walking or running on Wednesday, and 45 minutes of biking on Saturday. The training hits its peak in week seven, when aspiring triathletes are expected to exercise five days, with the longest workout clocking in at an hour and 15 minutes. Even for the most time-pressed people, Harr makes the triathlon seem attainable - and in only eight weeks. Harr writes from experience, starting as an out-of-shape legal clerk and winding up the winner of 30 amateur and pro events.

- Mariko Thompson

GIMME A BEAT: Dance workout videos tend to promise more than they can deliver. They hook buyers with the romantic illusion of moving like a ballerina or a jazz dancer. But in reality, most of us are too clumsy for these dance routines, dumbed-down as they may be. Every so often, somebody gets it right. Debra Bono creates three flamboyant yet simple dances in ``Three Flavors! Aerobic Dance Workout'' (Body Be Good; VHS $19.95, DVD $35). Aimed at beginner and intermediate levels, the workouts become progressively harder. Beginners will want to start with the celebratory African dance. Once that's mastered, try the slinky, syncopated Latin workout. The most challenging of the three is the hip-hop dance, which requires some fancy footwork. Each workout runs 20 minutes. The video also contains warm-up and cool-down segments. ``Three Flavors'' will definitely add spice to your fitness routine. For more information, visit www.bodybgood.com.

- M.T.

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