Exercise is NOT a dirty word

[aylaanne]

Even though I want it to be. I don't exercise, like, ever. My last pregnancy I had some slightly high blood pressure, and I went overdue, which led to me transferring to the hospital, which led to my c-section. I really want to stay home this time. Also, even though I had grand plans to start my 2nd pregnancy at 10lbs lighter than I was when I got pregnant the first time, I ended up starting 10lbs heavier, which is really depressing. I need to get in shape.

I did a prenatal "yoga" DVD last night. I've never done any real yoga, but I still expected some poses. However, it was just a lot of stretching, breathing, and meditation. I did like it, the teacher focused a lot on connecting to your baby through the exercises, and there was about five minutes of free-form belly dancing that really touched my soul. I cried, clutching my belly (that's all fat and not baby), and just thinking about my last birth, and my upcoming birth, and all the other stuff going on in my life.

Also considering doing 100 push ups now, while my belly isn't in the way. I really want to work on my upper body strength, and my yoga DVD is heavy on the squatting. I think doing two days of the DVD and three days of push ups might be the thing that gets me moving.

So what about you ladies? Anyone using pregnancy as an excuse to get fit?

[Cersha]

I was in the process of losing the last of my last pregnancy weight....and I had about ten pounds to go (except I still wanted to lose another 20 after that) when SURPRISE! So I'm not thrilled about being heavier this time than I was last time...but I'm determined not to gain as much as I did with my first pregnancy. After fifty pounds I told them to stop telling me, so I have no idea how bad it got.

I'm still on track with exercise, like I was doing before I found out I was pregnant...and I just started the 30 day challenge on EA's Active for Wii. I'm hoping to stay as fit as possible this time around and skip all the cake and ice cream from the first time.

[forestrymom]

I started running again about a year ago, training to run a half marathon. I plan to run that race in September, so I'm still running quite a bit. So, while I'm not using pregnancy as an excuse to get fit, I plan to stay fit through this pregnancy, unlike my first 2. I am 20 pounds lighter than I was when I got pregnant with dd and 40 pounds lighter than with ds.

[Peace+Hope]

aylaane, cool thread.

i'm not as good about exercise as i need to be either. pretty sporadically do strenuous hiking and biking and lots of walking, without much inbetween.

i'd like to get some accurate information about exercise and the first trimester, so if anyone posting has it, please share! the same midwife who gave me the inaccurate toxoplasmosa info told me unless i start doing something really high impact, because i have NOT been, i should be fine. i'm amazed by you prego runners out there!

i am really hoping to come out of this pregnancy the same weight i'm going in. i'm about 40 lbs overweight (not over my ideal, but higher). i know healthy preg weight gain is not spread evenly, so i'm not going to be scale obsessing, but i'd like the balance to be what i am now, if possible.

i really feel like i have to take my physical fitness more seriously than ever beCAUSE i'm pregnant. i have to be strong, and have endurance, for birth and the exhausting weeks following now that's what i call motivation!

[SuzieQ3417]

I did the 100 pushups program. Granted I made them "girly" pushups (where you're balanced on your knees instead of feet), but it was great! Despite being a very active person my entire life, I had never been able to do more than about 10-20 pushups without collapsing. I never made it to the end of the program, but I did get to the point where I could do 70 pushups in a row. It was really empowering!

[damselfly41]

I exercise every day, using DVDs. I'll be keeping that up, modifying when I get too big and/or uncomfortable.

I was really hoping to start jogging this fall, but I think I will wait now.

[LittleBirdie]

Forestrymom, that's great that you are doing a half next month! That is really really inspiring. I was just gearing up for training for one in March, but I think I might have to wait a bit....

Aylaanne, good for you getting into exercise with the pg! Sounds like you had fun with the DVD.

I'm still trying to work out by going to my bootcamp 4x a week, but now I find that I'm pooped and a little nauseated at the end of the workout. I've still got two 5ks planned for this fall, but I really think I need to do something like pilates or yoga so maybe will add that in when ds goes back to preschool. Surprisingly I am not much of an exercise nut, but have been since Jan and lost about 10 lbs. So, I am feeling pretty good going into this pg.

[aylaanne]

Originally Posted by SuzieQ3417

I did the 100 pushups program. Granted I made them "girly" pushups (where you're balanced on your knees instead of feet), but it was great! Despite being a very active person my entire life, I had never been able to do more than about 10-20 pushups without collapsing. I never made it to the end of the program, but I did get to the point where I could do 70 pushups in a row. It was really empowering!

I was planning on doing it "girly" style for maybe three weeks, just to get going, then to start over again with week one doing "real" pushups. Currently, I can't even do one without falling. I'm such a wuss! Glad to hear that you had some success with it, anyways.

[shantiani]

I have been training with a friend for a marathon at the end of Nov. I knew I would probably be pregnant long before that so I didn't actually sign up for the race, but I am going to continue training with her as much as I can. I'll skip the interval / speed work and won't increase my distance much more, but I'll do what I can. Right now, running feels great. I'm feeling a little cautious about not pushing too hard, but I'm trying to be good and just listen to my body.

I also ordered two books on the subject:
http://www.amazon.com/Exercising-Thr...936581&sr=8-13
http://www.amazon.com/Runners-World-...9936616&sr=8-1
I'll let you know if I discover anything interesting! (So far the info I've read says exercise is great for us... just don't push to an anaerobic state or exert yourself so that you're uncomfortable.) I'll switch to more yoga if the running becomes too much. And maybe I'll join you ladies with the push-up challenge. I'm all legs and could use a little help in the upper bod!

Part of why I want to keep running / exercising is that it has been a lifesaver for me over the past 6 months. I had 4 pregnancies and 4 miscarriages last year (yeah, yikes) and I gained about 20lbs in the process. My goal was to get my body back to my optimum healthy state before getting preg again... and I JUST reached my old weight again on the same day that I got this BFP! What timing! But more than the weight, the exercise really regulates my mood and energy and hormones. It's a huge stabilizing factor for me and I don't want to lose that great, strong feeling of fitness. We're all going to be doing some heavy weight lifting for the next 8 months (and after!) so being in shape can only help, eh?

[ivymae]

Pregnant runners: remember that you are flooded with relaxin and progesterone, hormones that gives you the extra flexibility you need for birth, but also can loosen your joints. I was a runner through my first pregnancy, and I found quickly that I had to be extra cautious about my ankles/knees, because they wobbled more than I was used to. Wrapping them helped, as well as making sure I wore good shoes and knew my route.

[shantiani]

Thanks for the advice ivymae. This is my first so I'll take all the advice I can get.

[aylaanne]

Originally Posted by shantiani

But more than the weight, the exercise really regulates my mood and energy and hormones. It's a huge stabilizing factor for me and I don't want to lose that great, strong feeling of fitness. We're all going to be doing some heavy weight lifting for the next 8 months (and after!) so being in shape can only help, eh?

absolutely. I didn't do much exercise at ALL when I was pg with DS and I think that really screwed me up. I've been planning to start an exercise routine for a while and my BFP really convicted me to get moving.

[kimlyn32]

I'm hoping to exercise during this pregnancy, especially because I am almost 80lbs overweight to begin with. I'd like to at least be active some and prepare my body for labor.

Since I'm not consistent at being active, I'm trying to at least walk 3x a week.