How did you exercise during pregnancy?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I’ve just found out I’m pregnant (yay me, first cycle of IVF!!) and want to keep active during the pregnancy, for as long as I can. I have been working on the standard recommendation of heart rate below 140, but I am finding that almost too easy (as in easy to reach, and feeling like I’m not doing very much). I’m thinking of continuing cycling (while I can keep balanced),maybe a little jogging and yoga/pilates/weights within boundaries.

In looking around it seems that that might be old advice - some sites including the Mayo Clinic seem to suggest that you simply try to keep from getting breathless or overheated, especially if you have been active in the past. Those of you that have been pregnant, how did you approach exercise?

(I hope this doesn’t count as asking for medical advice - I am between doctors right now - Fertility Specialist onto obstetrician and will ask when I see them.)

2

Congratulations!

3

Congratulations!

I did Jane Fonda’ Pregnancy work out :). Cheesy and old yes but it worked. Plus I walked a ton since I lived in Germany and where we lived was very pedestrian-friendly.

4

Sorry, can’t help you with your question, but just wanted to pop in to say congratulations on your successful IVF! We’re hoping for a similar success soon, so it’s nice to hear about positive outcomes. You must be so pleased :smiley:

5

My wife went to this class both times. Perhaps there’s a similar tailored programme where you are. She disliked going but always felt good afterwards and recovered from birth so well that some people on the ward didn’t believe she was the mother.

6

Congrats! All I did for exercise was walk a lot. Although, for my first pregnancy I lived in Seattle so “just walking around” was actually quite the workout, depending on where in the city I was. I tried to get in 2-4 miles per day, depending on my energy levels.

I have also heard good things about pregnancy water aerobics and pregnancy yoga classes.

7

30+ years ago, my mother continued to ride her bike for 10-15 miles at a stretch up until the day when she had pain when she got home. Called the doctor, the doctor said “If it hurts, don’t do that again”. Had baby (me) two weeks later.

8

Congratulations!

I recently wrote an advice column type article for this specific question. When I get home to my laptop I’ll email it to you.

9

For the first few weeks, I just kept up my normal exercise routine. I believe the thing to worry about is that your body doesn’t become too warm, as this can be bad for brain development.

After the first few weeks I became really, really sick with morning sickness, and I didn’t even think about working out!

Once I felt better I had gained a few pounds, and working out was much more challenging.

So, I think you should just take it easy for now and you will find that you are getting out of breath at much lower levels than you were before in just a few weeks.

Good luck with the pregnancy!

10

Congrats! There’s a pregnant woman at the gym nearly every day. She does a little with light free weights and does the treadmill. She goes very slowly…I’d guess she’s not doing more than 2.5 mph for 1/2 hour. She appears to be about 7 months along, but I have a hard time judging that. She looks like if she wasn’t pregnant she’s have 25-30 lbs to lose.

11

I pretty much did what I normally did during the day and my exercise was walking up to get the mail. Living out in the country in the middle of nowhere definitely makes that a workout, but probably not to the extent you’re looking for. It’s great that you want to work out but definitely don’t stress over it too much. Enjoy yourself and if that means taking a couple times a week to sit down and eat some bonbons, go right ahead! :slight_smile:

12

A friend of mine came to a party when his wife was five months pregnant. They’re both big runners. We asked him why his wife didn’t come with him.

“Oh, she’s running a 5k.”

“A 5k? While she’s 5 months pregnant? That’s crazy! Aren’t you worried?”

“Nah. She ran 5 miles this morning and was fine.”

:eek:

And they have a lovely, healthy baby.

13

For the first one (just over 2years ago and was conceived via IUI) I wanted something low impact, so I turned to yoga. I liked this DVD - Yoga for Your Pregnancy. I didn’t particularly care too much for the Pregnancy Yoga vid from Gaiam. It was a bit too fast and awkward for me - beginner.

For the second baby (born last week), yoga again, low impact exercises on the Wii Fit and chasing a toddler! :slight_smile:

My recovery with the second baby has been really awesome. I didn’t have much pain the days following labor, but maybe it’s because the labor/delivery went so quick.

I also have a friend who is a Jazzercise instructor. She did that pretty much through her entire 1st pregnancy (except the hopping part when she’d spot), and now she’s pregnant with her 2nd as well and plans on doing the same thing. She just stops when it gets to be too much and just explains what everyone else should be doing.

Good luck and congrats!!! :slight_smile:

14

Meant to mention that w/ my first pregnancy, I was still active duty Army and did normal PT until 20 weeks. Then it got reduced a bit until I think 30 weeks. So until 20 weeks, I did the push ups, sit ups, and 2-mile run everyone else did. Then I did bent knee push ups, no sit ups (hey the belly was not huge but it did make sit ups harder) and IIRC I ran a mile.

My pregnancy was entirely normal and I had zero health issues. I’m sure your ob/gyn will let you know what you can do, although I tend to think pregnant women can do more than they realize, barring health complications.

15

CONGRATULATIONS!

I had a LOT of wild sex! I was ridiculously horny when I was pregnant!

16

With the first one, I kept up with running and weight classes.
I ran a road race at 6 months, and kept up the running til 8 months.
(yoga I dropped much earlier cause it just didn’t feel comfortable)

With this one, I’ve kept up with the “usual” - running 2- 3 times a week and boot camp class twice a week. I just get slower :slight_smile: I’m off right now cause I hurt my back shoveling snow of all things, but I’m hoping to get back into it next week.

Everything I read said “don’t overheat, don’t dehydrate and if it hurts, stop” I figured that was fine advice, and it served me well.

17

Congratulations!

Me, I’m sticking to my 10,000 steps a day walking (easily achieved in a hospital while on rounds), an hour of pre-natal yoga once a week and the occasional swim.

But then, I’m desperately unfit and only my naturally small appetite, bad morning sickness and high metabolism have thus far prevented me from becoming a whale. I’m 20 weeks and just starting to get a bit back-achy and tired if I’m on my feet all day.

To be honest I think as long as you’re not uncomfortable and you avoid risky things (ski-ing, diving, horse-riding, contact sports, bull-fighting, circus performing etc etc :slight_smile: ) I think you’re fine.

18

Congratulations!!!

I walked a bit. Not enough. I highly recommend exercising. Not from experience, because I was a lump, but it is a good thing (and for my next pregnancy, there WILL be exercise. Oh, yes. There will be exercise.).

19

Thank you - a bit of a shock that it actually worked, but I’m getting used to it! I’ve been thinking about you, and hope that things work out soon for you too. PM me if you have any questions about the treatment.

20

Many congratulations.

I swam regularly, walked tons, and was cycling till 36 weeks, when I stopped because I moved and my bike was put in storage. I was a regular cyclist, like you. I wouldn’t recommend taking up cycling, but continuing now would be fine. (IANAD but have read lots and been there myself, heh).

TBH, I didn’t really do anything differently, exercise-wise, in pregnancy than I’ve done in the rest of my life. The bump grew gradually and I got used to it.

Your current activities, apart from the cycling, almost sound like a pregnancy exercise schedule. :smiley:
If you have a yoga or pilates teacher, they should be able to adapt your regime for your pregnancy - and, since those activities are about stretches, it’s important that they do adapt: your ligaments are a bit stretchier than usual, and you could harm yourself without realising it at first. If you’re doing it from home, look up videos and stuff online or, better, go to a class - or just stick with what you’ve been doing till now and pay attention to your body.

I wish I could have gone to some pregnancy swim-aerobics sessions or just pregnancy aerobics or yoga, which were available in my area, but they clashed with my class times. They did sound like they were a good way to meet a variety of people who just happened to be pregnant too, as well as being safe, beneficial exercise.

Most of all, ignore those movies where a mother six months pregnant with one child has to be helped out of an armchair that has armholds and groans when she’s up. The mother-to-be groans, that is, though I’m sure the armchair groans too in some of those movies, as if a six-month-pregnant woman with one foetus is as heavy as Nadia Suleyman at full term.