Any plans for exercising while pregnant?

[segrau]

I'm waiting to tell my gym that I'm pregnant. I want to tell my trainers when i tell everyone else. It's only a week, after all. I'm a CrossFit devotee, and I can't wait to get my CrossFit Moms shirt to wear when I announce. Anyone who wants to join me in a tough workout throughout pregnancy should check out CrossFit Moms:

http://www.crossfitmom.com/

It's not for everyone, but I was really inspired by the success stories of the women who have done it while preggo and had super short labors and low, healthy weight gains. I was doing this before I was pregnant, so I'm pretty sure I can make it through the trimesters exercising. I'll fall back on bellydance and yoga (what I did last pregnancy) if it gets to be too tough. We'll see!

[ComplexOphelia]

Crossfit looks amazing!

Since I developed pre-e in a past pregnancy, I'm doing EVERYTHING I can to minimize risk in this one, including being rigid about getting regular exercise. I took a nice, brisk half-hour walk today, and am going to do my yoga before bed. There's a bellydance class that meets in my town, which I hadn't thought of, but will totally start going to! I hope that along with keeping me healthy physically, it will help keep me healthy emotionally - I've had some struggles with anxiety, and don't want any of that messing with baby growin'!

Maybe in the second trimester I can start to be a Crossfit mom, too

[carriebft]

I am very into exercise!

I am a martial arts instructor, and I have pretty much kept with that up until about 8 months with my other pregnancies. I will do the same this time.

I was also training for a half marathon when we found out about the baby, so, while I obviously won't be adding miles, I will try to remain on a running schedule. Last time I was able to run until about 7-8 months. I am going to go for a 3, 4, 3, 5 schedule with rest days between.

On the off days I would usually do arms and abs, which I am not too sure about right now. I was actually going to do a bit of research on lifting and pregnancy right now.

[segrau]

The CrossFit guidelines for weightlifting while pregnant are to lift no more than 50% of your single rep max, and err on the side of light weight when you don't know. I've seen moms who were pressing 45 lbs overhead in their third trimester, so I think it all depends on what you were doing before.

I won't be doing any sit-ups or other exercises on my back after first trimester, but I'm sure I can find other ab and core exercises at that point.

I'm so excited to see other moms who want to commit to fitness while carrying their babies! The first time around I saw birth as a marathon, and I realize now that I didn't train hard enough. It took a year to get the weight off, and I felt like a slug for the first month after he was born. This time, I'm in better shape to start out (only 14 lbs overweight instead of 40) and I'm going for it!

[carriebft]

this baby was a total surprise to us. In the last 9 months, I've gone through P90x twice and beachbody Insanity once...I worked harrrrd to get my pre-pre-pre pregnancy body back, and I don't want to lose all that hard work.

So I am definitely in and I think we should have weekly or montly exercise threads!

[MaerynPearl]

DDCC - I wish you much luck in keeping it up! It really DOES help... I dont know it from personal experience but from several friends who continued to exercise through pregnancy. While their labors were not any less painful or more easy than mine (granted I think Im blessed with how easy/painless mine have been for an out-of-shape momma), their recovery time was MUCH faster.

[carriebft]

yeah with my first I didn't exericse: 14 hours

exercised a little (walking, some karate) with second: 16 hours

3rd exercised right up until the end: 4 hours! and I just felt so much better the whole time and in the weeks after. it was amazing difference!

[debra_lea]

I REALLY want to exercise during this pregnancy. I exercised throughout my first pregnancy with no problems. I couldn't during my second. They think that my second was leaning on a nerve in a leg? No sure, but I could barely walk! I am hoping I can be active throughout this pregnancy. You all sound like an inspiration group to hang out with!

[nintendork]

I have never been very into exercise, I do crunches and light weights at night and occasionally jog but that's it. I have read that the amount of exercise that is safe and healthy while pregnant is really dependent on the amount of exercise you were doing before you got pregnant so I don't want to do anything strenuous now. I did get a prenatal yoga dvd that I have done a few times and really enjoyed, and now I don't have to feel like a poser while doing it lol.

[CrazyCatLady]

I'm an aerobics instructor, so I always work out during my pregnancies. I stop liking gym work outs when pregnant for some reason. I like to take a lot of walks (outside or on the treadmill). I really love walking on the treadmill while watching movies. I also do a ton of swimming and yoga. Maybe some pregnant exercise videos thrown in...but most annoy the heck out of me.

That was my plan again for this pregnancy. I was actually going to start a thread like this earlier.

[mrforbes]

I'm in! I workout very regularily and do a variety of things (running, gym, pilates/yoga stuff) I worked out on a regular basis w/my DS 1 and while I can't say it helped my labor (posterior baby, almost 32 hours) I did get through the labor fine and w/no tears (9 lb 10 oz baby) and think working out was good for my stamina.

This time I'm hoping for a non posterior baby. I worked out last night for the first time in a week - I'd been so tired and had morning sickness. I'm hoping to workout today as well I feel so much better when I work out!

[babybirkel]

ooh ooh me!

i gained 85 lbs my first pregnancy. yes you read that right. i really am not excited about repeating that experience. especially being hugely pregnant in the colder months and around the holidays i really need to be diligent about exercising. last time i think i basically sat around and ate. i really didn't exercise at all...i was really worried about it somehow hurting the baby.

so far i have been taking long, brisk walks with my son in the stroller, doing about 2 miles at a time, just around my neighborhood.

i am also going to start going to zumba 3x a week.

one of my good friends just had a baby 3 weeks ago..she exercised 3x a week for her entire pregnancy, gained 23 lbs, and is already back to her pre-pregnancy weight. she's definitely inspired me.

i had a natural labor with my son. i think it would have been easier on me if i had been in better shape because i was really wiped out toward the end. i tried to squat while pushing but it was too hard for me to hold my weight up. so i really want to be stronger and have more endurance for labor this time.

[finnegansmom]

I'm a sloth. The most exercise I did my last pregnancy was bounce on my yoga ball while eating pints of Ben and Jerry's.

I really really really need to be more active. I have an almost 2 year and and a 3.5 year old, I'm going to start stalking craigslist for a cheap double (side by side) jogging stroller to go walking on the beach with. Thanks for reminding me. I've gained more than 60 with each pregnancy but thankfully due to nursing on demand i've lost the weight + 10 each time within a year (without dieting, i hate diets).

[nintendork]

FM this is the prenatal yoga DVD I have and I love it!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

Its very low stress and has great meditations not to mention I love the woman leading it, her voice is soothing and she tells great stories! I really do feel great afterwards.

[carriebft]

should we do weekly or monthly thread?

Today I did 40 min of P90x shoulders and arms. I didn't try to up my weight, just worked on yeps and maintaining! tomorrow morning I am doing a 5 mile run, that's the longest I will run while preggo I guess since its the longest I would run before I found out.

[OkiMom]

Im planning on working out as long as I can. My oldest DD I had such bad morning sickness the entire pregnancy that if I stood I threw up, so no working out. I ended up gaining 70 pounds and being totally miserable at the end. My second i was on bedrest from 20-24 weeks but I did do long walks before and after the bedrest. I gained 60 pounds during that pregnancy.
Recently Ive lost over 50 pounds and I DONT want to gain it all back. Im planning on doing some workout videos, long walks/jogs and whatever else I feel like doing at the time.

[segrau]

I'd love to see a weekly exercise plan. We can all post what we've been doing and support one another. I love this idea!

I just posted this elsewhere, but I did some deadlifts (85 lbs,) assisted pull-ups, and resisted run sprints this morning. I'm not going to tell my gym I'm pregnant until Thursday (when I'll be 5 weeks) and I'm trying to kind of follow the CrossFit Mom guidelines for first trimester. I just failed this morning in her recommendation not to get too winded. Man, I was huffing through those resisted runs! I just am not ready to tell them yet and I couldn't think of any excuse not to participate. I figure, I was doing it before I got pregnant, and at this early stage a lot of women don't even know they're pregnant anyway.

Early fatigue is setting in. Yesterday I got plenty of sleep and a nap, and it was my rest day and I was still falling asleep sitting up. I'm hoping if I just stick it out it'll get better.

BTW, I have a lot of respect for you ladies who are runners. I could barely run two miles before I got pregnant, and now I'll be putting off my 5K goal for quite a while. Or maybe I'll just walk/jog it....

[hollytheteacher]

Originally Posted by segrau

I'd love to see a weekly exercise plan. We can all post what we've been doing and support one another. I love this idea!

I just posted this elsewhere, but I did some deadlifts (85 lbs,) assisted pull-ups, and resisted run sprints this morning. I'm not going to tell my gym I'm pregnant until Thursday (when I'll be 5 weeks) and I'm trying to kind of follow the CrossFit Mom guidelines for first trimester. I just failed this morning in her recommendation not to get too winded. Man, I was huffing through those resisted runs! I just am not ready to tell them yet and I couldn't think of any excuse not to participate. I figure, I was doing it before I got pregnant, and at this early stage a lot of women don't even know they're pregnant anyway.

Early fatigue is setting in. Yesterday I got plenty of sleep and a nap, and it was my rest day and I was still falling asleep sitting up. I'm hoping if I just stick it out it'll get better.

BTW, I have a lot of respect for you ladies who are runners. I could barely run two miles before I got pregnant, and now I'll be putting off my 5K goal for quite a while. Or maybe I'll just walk/jog it....

Me too! Exactly! I have a 5k goal too but i can't run more than 2 miles either! lol. I am going to start doign prenatal yoga next week!!! There is a studio right near my work and the teacher is the mom of one of my students and the class starts 15 min after i get out of work so it's PERECT

[finnegansmom]

Originally Posted by nintendork

FM this is the prenatal yoga DVD I have and I love it!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

Its very low stress and has great meditations not to mention I love the woman leading it, her voice is soothing and she tells great stories! I really do feel great afterwards.

Excellent! I just put it in my cart.

[OkiMom]

Last night hubby and I took a 6 mile walk. Wow, some of the hills over here are killers. Its pouring today so Ill probably do some workout video tonight instead of walking.