Exercising Mommies!

[mamacatsbaby]

What's your regimen like now? I've cut the intensity of my runs down to a light jog where I can still easily carry on a conversation. I haven't picked up my free-weights in a week and a half and need to modify my routine. I've cut out ab work. Got some PG exercise DVDs going on hold for me at the library. We'll see if I enjoy or just .

[1babysmom]

I've just been sticking to my elliptical most days (I am always by myself with the girls so I can't take them out in the stroller much in the summer- mosquitoes in the morning and evening, WAY too hot in the day). I've fallen off the wagon though and really need to get back into my routine. I think I'm going to pick up some of the pregnancy workouts mentioned on the main board recently.

[lincap]

I go to Curves 2 or 3 times a week. So I think I will continue with it, just ease up a bit on intensity. Maybe even skip a machine if it doesn't feel right. I haven't even made an appt with my midwife yet, but I'll ask her when I see her.

[SuzyLee]

I haven't changed anything. All my research (I mean actual reasearch, not WTEWYE ) has shown you don't need to cut back much- you just need to not push it if you start to not feel well or get too short of breath. You don't need to be at light intensity- you just shouldn't be at high intensity.


I run about 30 minutes maybe 2 or 3 times a week and go on 3mile walks on some days. I need to find the time/energy to start some yoga too.

[mamacatsbaby]

WTEWYE- Have never come across this acronym. What does this stand for?

Yeah, what I've read said you shoud be good just going at the pace you were at before PG, but don't go heavier. I've been running 1.5 to 3 miles everyday, including lots of hills and I'm breathing hard at the end. Plus it's crazy-ass hot here. I've found it's hard for me not to push myself, 'specially if I hit that runner's high, then an especially good song comes on the ipod that's just talkin' to me right then . So it's easier for me to just slow it down.

I have however jumped back into my strength training today woohoo! Need to go do some pushups actually before I forget . I think the only thing I'm going to stay away from is ab work. I've read about some modified ab exercises you can do though. And the pushups are good for my core anyway. We need a 'buff' smilie .

[catchthewind]

I started a running program 2 weeks before I found out I was pregnant. One where you run 2 minutes, walk 4 minutes, repeat, then up it the next week, etc. I used to run 5k every other day and was hoping to get back up to that point. Then I found out I was pregnant. So because the running is so new to me, I think I'm going to drop the running altogether. I do walk a lot though, and always have, so I'm definitely going to keep that up. I'd like to start swimming more again. I did last pregnancy and really enjoyed it and the water felt so good in late pregnancy. I have some yoga dvd's from last time that I never actually did but I think I'm going to try and do them this time.

[SuzyLee]

Originally Posted by mamacatsbaby

WTEWYE- Have never come across this acronym. What does this stand for?
.

What to expect when your expecting.... i just meant all the generic advice that pg books have- none of them appear to have actually read the peer reviewed journal articles about exercising during pregnancy. No you shouldn't go run a marathon but you most certainly can get your heartrate up and get a good workout in.

[cocoanib]

Thanx for this post OP.
I keep reading that you should continue doing what you did before. That kinda scares me though, so I have toned it down quite a bit. Right now I would rather be safe than sorry. Before preggy, I ran 3.5-5 miles 5 days a week with a long run about every other weekend outdoors. About a month before preg, I had started doing elliptical and weight training in the gym.(getting ready for summer )
When I first thought I was preg and now I just have been doing elliptical and weight training. I do plan on adding my during the week runs back in, but I'm just so nervous about it right now.

[mamacatsbaby]

Originally Posted by cocoanib

Thanx for this post OP.
I keep reading that you should continue doing what you did before. That kinda scares me though, so I have toned it down quite a bit. Right now I would rather be safe than sorry. Before preggy, I ran 3.5-5 miles 5 days a week with a long run about every other weekend outdoors. About a month before preg, I had started doing elliptical and weight training in the gym.(getting ready for summer )
When I first thought I was preg and now I just have been doing elliptical and weight training. I do plan on adding my during the week runs back in, but I'm just so nervous about it right now.

I definitely hear you here! I don't know what it is. Logically, I know that for most women, PG does not necessarily equal fragile. I just need to do what feels right and makes the most sense for me. But the nagging fear, what is that?

Is it more so the fear that our bodies will betray us therefor betraying the baby, which many people would feel of course is mom's fault since she should have known better than to do this or that?

Or is it about control? This is such a vulnerable time and nature will do as she sees fit, regardless of our wishes. Maybe we want to maintain as much control of the things that are within our ability to control to give our babies the best chances?

Eh, I'm sleepy and exhausted and really inside my head right now .

[BelovedK]

I have worked out daily for years, and I am a bellydancer too, so I am always dancing. I usually do a good fitness DVD in the early morning followed by a cool down walk. I have been bad about practicing dance though.

I feel good about the bellydancing (I think I will start a thread about that ) but not necessarily the shimmies at this time, but the hip circles and figure 8s, and undulations and most of the other moves. I have actually been feeling a bit out of touch with my dancing lately, but plan to keep at it through the pregnancy.

As for the other workouts, I guess I'll keep on going until I can't. I may have to stop for a while if I start to feel like crap in the mornings, but I hope to start up again when I feel better.

I am glad to have support during all of this. I can imagine it might be hard to start back up again.

[Geigerin]

I have been running almost a year and did two half marathons in May. The past 3-4 weeks brought a lot of bad weather and 90 degree days. As a result, I stopped running and just scaled back to some walking.

Since it's been 3 weeks since my last run, I'm afraid to run again. So, I decided to walk a lot. I'll also continue canoeing, hiking, biking (not mountain biking-afraid of falling now)...

[judybean]

I don't exercise heavily or anything, but I try to remain active.

We have just one vehicle for our family and dh works about 10 miles out of town, so he takes the vehicle to work which means if the girls and I want to go somewhere we have to ride our bikes or walk... and we do a lot of walking and bike-riding. I even still carry the youngest (she's 3.5 and 35 pounds) on my back in the mei tai most of the time.. (I might rethink that one.. at least eventually). And I do wohm a bit.. just 11-17 hours per week at a coffee shop as a barista And my mom will come pick up my girls and I'll ride my bike to work and back home.

[momma2libby]

i'm walking 2mi a day.

[Longhorn]

I use to run a lot, but since finding out I'm pregnant I have started to just walk at a fast pace. It is also insanely hot this summer in Austin (nearly every day is over 100 degrees) so DH is a little nervous to have me walk outside, hehe, so I normally just walk 2+ miles on the treadmill. I also use to play tennis with DH, but we stopped that too when I found out I was pregnant just to be safe.

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by mamacatsbaby

I definitely hear you here! I don't know what it is. Logically, I know that for most women, PG does not necessarily equal fragile. I just need to do what feels right and makes the most sense for me. But the nagging fear, what is that?

Is it more so the fear that our bodies will betray us therefor betraying the baby, which many people would feel of course is mom's fault since she should have known better than to do this or that?

Or is it about control? This is such a vulnerable time and nature will do as she sees fit, regardless of our wishes. Maybe we want to maintain as much control of the things that are within our ability to control to give our babies the best chances?

Eh, I'm sleepy and exhausted and really inside my head right now .

Funny thing is, I was thinking that I would keep running the same during my first tri. While ttc, I always thought I would. I was a member of "why do women stop doing what they've been doing forever just because they're preg?" As soon as I got preg...Bam!...all of a sudden I'm super cautious.

You may be on to something with the control thing.(shhh, I'm a control freak) Also, if something ever happened to little bebe because I didn't take it easier, I would be crushed.

Originally Posted by Geigerin

I have been running almost a year and did two half marathons in May. The past 3-4 weeks brought a lot of bad weather and 90 degree days. As a result, I stopped running and just scaled back to some walking.
Since it's been 3 weeks since my last run, I'm afraid to run again. So, I decided to walk a lot. I'll also continue canoeing, hiking, biking (not mountain biking-afraid of falling now)...

I did a half last year and was training for a full in May, but didn't feel ready. Are you going to go back to running once you feel secure or just do walking for your pregnancy?

[Charmie981]

I just started working out daily with a group of friends around three weeks ago and plan to continue as much as possible during my pregnancy. I will cut out the ab work, I think, and just try to listen to my body as much as possible. I'm really in terrible shape and was trying to reduce my BMI and body fat percentage (as well as shed a few pounds) by eating well and working out. I figure I can still eat well (only a LOT...since I'm nursing I'll need like 3400 cal a day!) and workout and manage to be in better shape coming out of my pregnancy than I went in. I know that if I stop now, it'll be that much harder to make myself do it in April or May of next year when I have FOUR (omg!) children.

[sharr610]

We lived in West Africa for a while. I never forget being on a hike and seeing a woman scale a 300' cliff(that I was huffing up in my hiking boots), barefoot, with a 20 gallon container of water on her head as if it was nothing. Oh! And she was at least 8 months pregnant.
Or bodies are stronger than we give them credit for, in pregnancy and birth.

[Geigerin]

Originally Posted by sharr610

We lived in West Africa for a while. I never forget being on a hike and seeing a woman scale a 300' cliff(that I was huffing up in my hiking boots), barefoot, with a 20 gallon container of water on her head as if it was nothing. Oh! And she was at least 8 months pregnant.
Or bodies are stronger than we give them credit for, in pregnancy and birth.

Woah. You're right about that. We are probably much stronger than we think. We are women, hear us roar. Speaking of which, my bff has a two and a half week old who gained 13 oz. this week. And mama provided all that nutrition herself. I actually felt very proud of her when she told me. Being a woman totally rocks! Of course, I'm still totally whimping out right now.

Cocoanib- I haven't decided yet. I would like to keep running, but I'm going to wait until we find a midwife and she tells me what's okay. Since this is our first, I'm pretty nervous about everything. I didn't even drink wine in the 2 ww. (I don't think it would have really mattered.) We were going to train for a (edit- full, not fall) full that will take place this November. DH was just talking about it yesterday. He doesn't want to do it without me, so I told him, I'd attend the training classes and do what I could. I imagine there will be a lot of walking...lol.

A good friend of mine ran a half while 5 months pregnant a couple of years ago. She looked and felt great, but she is a lifetime runner. I'm not quite in that condition.

[mamacatsbaby]

Originally Posted by cocoanib

Also, if something ever happened to little bebe because I didn't take it easier, I would be crushed.

I think this is a big point for me. I don't know if I could forgive myself.

Originally Posted by sharr610

We lived in West Africa for a while. I never forget being on a hike and seeing a woman scale a 300' cliff(that I was huffing up in my hiking boots), barefoot, with a 20 gallon container of water on her head as if it was nothing. Oh! And she was at least 8 months pregnant.
Or bodies are stronger than we give them credit for, in pregnancy and birth.

See, I get this, truly! Besides PG, our bodies are mindblowing in general. I was astounded by what my body could do in PG and labor and birth? OMG, just wow! For me, I just can't shake this nagging anxiety. Don't know what it is .

[BelovedK]

I am so amazed at what our bodies can do, it really is astounding if you think about it. I feel no qualms about exercising up to the level I am used to, but when it comes to pushing, I don't feel comfortable. I think alot of it is what feels right.

That said, I do feel the inclination to take it a bit easier than before (I used to really push myself)

I think I will take advantage of DH being away, and my kids being at their dad's and go do some yoga. I got some new prenatal yoga DVDs, and will let you know what I think.