Hi, I actually TEACH those classes at the gym! & I did through my entire pregnancy with DS. I'm certified with the American Council on Exercise as a group fitness instructor & personal trainer. Feel free to PM me with any more specific Qs.
With DS, I personally taught step aerobics & kickboxing aerobics 1X per week, took a kickboxing class that included hitting & kicking heavy bags 1X per week, and lifted weights HEAVY 2-3X per week the entire pregnancy (max exertion, I think "light weight/high reps" is largely a waste of time.)
If you have any doubts, read the fantastic book, "Exercising Through your Pregnancy" by Dr. Clapp. It really outlines how not only is it NOT risky, it's extremely beneficial for both mother & baby. Shorter labors, less intervention (fewer epidurals & CS) they all even observed more 'easy going' babies!
There is absolutely no need to worry about your heart rate. (Assuming you have no heart condition or anything.) Feel free to get it up high! As a matter of fact, due to the 'cardiac underfill' problem in the 1st tri, your HR may be higher than your RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion.)
In other words, while you may be doing the equivalent of an easy jog that "feels" to you like you're working at a 7 out of 10 in intensity, pre-PG maybe your HR was 140 jogging that pace. 1st tri, same 'feeling' of intensity, same pace, and your HR may be 160! That's because your cardio vascular system (veins & arteries that pump blood around) have increased to accommodate more volume of blood, but the volume of blood has not yet increased. Hence "underfilled" cardiovascular system. So your HR is beating faster to pump less blood around more 'plumbing'. (This also causes lower blood pressure & may cause fainting. So fainting actually CAN be an early sign of pregnancy - not an old wives tale.)
ACOG used to say not to get HR over 140, but they finally got on the ball in 1994, I think it was, & dumped that. Dr. Clapp published his research in the 1980s and 1990s - no one had researched exercising in pregnancy before he got started on it in the late 1970s. Perhaps that's why our parents generation is more likely to be wary of exercising in pregnancy - no one really
knew. But when you think about it, when is exercise ever NOT good for your health?
The only things to look out for:
--Dehydration & overheating
(drink plenty, avoid working out outdoors in extreme heat)
--Be gentle with stretching, especially in 3rd tri - don't push too hard
--watch for being off-balance. IF You feel you are, maybe avoid working on a stability ball or BOSU (things
designed to get you off balance.) But this never happened to me - I taught yoga & did all my balance postures, no prob!
Obviously you might want to avoid things where you'd get hit in the belly like raquet ball or things where you're more likely to get injured like downhill skiing (not because tearing an ACL would hurt the baby, but just the hassle of needing surgery to repair knee ligaments while PG.)
Also watch out for ab work in the 3rd tri - have your MW check you for diastasis recti (abdominal wall separation). IF that's starting to occur, certain trunk flexion/rotation exercises (like oblique crunches) can exacerbate the problem. That is NOT to say don't work your abs - work 'em! Just keep an eye on the separation issue.
Also, you're not supposed to lay flat on your back after the 5th month. I personally,
for me, chose to do it anyway because I never felt the LEAST bit light-headed. (AND, my common sense & physiology knowledge made me feel that it wasn't risky if I FELT OK, which I always did.) But as a fitness professional, I'd NEVER tell you to ignore that rule.
Still participate in class, still do abs, but you can just put 2 'risers' under one end of a step bench to create a little 'incline' bench & lay on that to do your crunches or chest presses while everyone else lays flat on the floor. Easy enough! If the instructor has you do hamstring & glute stretches supine (flat on back) those are easy enough to do standing or seated instead. If you're not sure of the option, that's something an instructor could help you with.
Feel free to talk to the instructor about it, but I've been teaching for 11 years now & am active on fitness instructor discussion forums & I can tell you lots of GX instructors are CLUELESS! So I wouldn't put too much stock in that. If any fellow class participants or instructors say anything, you can reply,
"Actually Dr. Clapp's extensive research proved conclusively that exercising in pregnancy, even vigorous exercise, is extremely beneficial to both mother & baby. But thanks for your concern." I'm sure they'll look at you like you have 3 heads & then they'll be quiet.
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)... so i thought i should stick to the recumbent bike and aquacise classes...either way, i'll probably be the youngest student and only preggo (it's the YMCA).
totally...
