Exercise support thread

[mamaw/two]

I'm looking for some other mama's who work out. It can be so hard to keep it going in the first trimester, with all the dizziness and nausea! Right now I'm shooting for 4-5 days a week, I do yoga twice a week and cardio and weights the other days. I'm starting out this pregancy about 30lbs above my ideal weight, so it's really important for me to stick with it! Anyone else?

[tracymom1]

Me!! I exercise at least 5 days a week. I was running about 6 miles each time I went out until this week and started to scale it back a bit. We have a treadmill and I am now using the incline to get my cardio in. I am NOT going to let my arms go to flab this time around!!! I do a lot of working out with weights - both hand weights and using my own body weight. I am also doing yoga a few times a week and can't wait to get back into the prenatal classes in a couple of months.

I am starting about 15 pounds over my ideal weight so I am hoping to not go all crazy with the weight gain. 25 pounds sounds good to me, but I am going to focus more on overall health than stress about the number.

[Mama Metis]

I'm generally pretty active but I definitely need to settle into more of a routine. This is my first pregnancy - anything you ladies recommend? I will definitely do yoga, probably twice a week.

[tracymom1]

Hi Mamametis! I think that some light cardio is always really important in pregnancy if you can handle it. It feels so good to get the blood flowing and keep your endurance level up. I do light jogging at the beginning and walk on the treadmill at an incline. There are also some really great pregnancy work out videos out there. I will dig out my box and let you know which ones I have and like!

[mayakas]

Sorry I'm not a big exerciser (besides chasing after an 18 month old) but I thought you ladies might be the best to ask - is it okay to pick up moderatley heavy things during early pg (my mom keeps telling me not too)? I noticed some of you said you do weights. Is that something you will continue?

[heavensearth]

Id like to join this thread! Im aiming for 4 days a week right now of light cardio, but increasing it every couple of weeks. Im taking the next two weeks off working out (aside from running after a 22 month old) as we're high risk, but then I want to start up again. I also plan on doing prenatal yoga again, I did it with my first pregnancy and it was a life saver!

oh.. im also starting this pregnancy overweight. I didn't gain any weight with my first one and im kinda assuming I wont with this one either.. maybe even lose!

[mamaw/two]

Originally Posted by mayakas

Sorry I'm not a big exerciser (besides chasing after an 18 month old) but I thought you ladies might be the best to ask - is it okay to pick up moderatley heavy things during early pg (my mom keeps telling me not too)? I noticed some of you said you do weights. Is that something you will continue?

As long as you are not high risk, I've always heard that it's fine to continue most anything you are used to doing. My mom has always told me not to lift anything as well, but that has just lead to me getting totally out of shape in previous pregancies. I do some weights on the machines at the gym and plan to continue.

[mamaw/two]

Tracy- Wow! Six miles!! I'm such a wimp compared to you, I'm only doing about 20 mins on the eliptical!

I went to hatha yoga today, which I totally love. But, today we were doing a wide leg down dog and then moved our hands between our legs and let our head hang, as soon as I did this I felt a pull in my stomach. It felt alot like round ligament pain. I backed off and went back into the wide leg down dog and it felt much better. It was kindof scary though. I told the instructor that I'm pregnant, and she says that since I've been doing yoga for a while now that it should be fine to do all the positions. I'm thinking I'll have to quit some of the more abdominal ones and twisting at some point. Anyone have anymore info on poses that aren't good in pregnancy?

[alyssatuininga]

I have been running for about a year now 3 times a week typically about 3 miles at a time. Feeling too nauseous and exhausted to do much right now. Will need to scale down most definitely.

[mamaw/two]

I managed to get my cardio and weight in today! DH works alot, so I am lucky enough to have a gym that lets me bring the boys with (girls are in school). They don't have a daycare or anything, but it's slow enough there that the 17 month old sits in his stroller and my 3 yr old sits beside him in a little fold out chair. I can't believe they do so well. I went about 2 miles on the elliptical and did all my leg weights! I really hope I can keep this up.

[mama_daba]

i am uncertain if i will be able to stay in this due date club due to some spotting but assuming all goes well and i do i definitely am in.

i started the couch to 5k thing recently and had to stop because of some life stuff but once everything with baby is completely certainly ok i will pick that back up. i also am into bicycling. like to ride 30 to 40 miles a few times a week but the roads here are so twisty and windy with eucalyptus trees and the rain makes the roads so slick i have not been going out on rides lately just riding on trainer 30 or more minutes a day.

i am taking some time off from doing anything very strenuous exercise wise but from what i have been told and read it is ok to do some so i will keep doing some maybe wait a few days since really feeling afraid to do anything right now but emotionally exercise helps me so much. so i will at least do some walking or something.

has anyone here read Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain ?

i just finished it and it was really fascinating and mentioned a study of women who rode stationary bike while in labor and most of them had less pain and an easier labor. was a fascinating book and really inspired me to want to exercise more than i already want to.

for a while i had been doing strength training and stopped when life got in the way but i would like to pick that up again as well.

[tracymom1]

Yay!! Got in 4 miles on the treadmill at a 10 min pace! I am usually faster but the nausea is getting to me when my heart is pumping! Did some light upper body too!

mamaw/two, you are NOT a wimp!! I have been running since high school. It is getting harder and harder to keep up with my goals the older I get but so far so good.

Moonfroggy, I am definitely going to pick up that book. Sounds very interesting! Thanks for the rec!

[fertilemyrtle]

I'm here with y'all! I'm usually walk/jogging 3 miles 3 days per week, and trying to strength train (which I find boring). and then about 30-60 min. of yoga daily.

[mamaw/two]

How's everyone doing? I didn't get any exercise in during the weekend (except the normal chasing a toddler and doing stuff with the older three!).
I did go to yoga yesterday and am planning to go again today.

[bunziemom]

I am so glad this thread was started. Granted I don't start crazy MS like I had with DS I am going to try to walk a couple miles a day and lift light weights all throughout my pregnancy. We'll see....

[~Katie~]

I'll join in. I posted in the main chat thread but I'm trying to focus on being overall more healthy with this pregnancy. I've been doing weight training and we walk/jog together with the jogging stroller almost every day when the weather cooperates. I did yoga with my first pregnancy but it seemed to make my pelvic pain worse, I might try some different pregnancy workout DVD's this time around.

[bunziemom]

Originally Posted by ~Katie~

I did yoga with my first pregnancy but it seemed to make my pelvic pain worse, I might try some different pregnancy workout DVD's this time around.

Wow that's interesting I thought Yoga was supposed to ease pelvic pain. Good for you for doing something. I spent my first trimester last pregnancy too sick to do anything, my second too lazy and my third too big. Going to try to do it a little differently this time around.

[~Katie~]

Originally Posted by bunziemom

Wow that's interesting I thought Yoga was supposed to ease pelvic pain. Good for you for doing something. I spent my first trimester last pregnancy too sick to do anything, my second too lazy and my third too big. Going to try to do it a little differently this time around.

I think it contributed to the pain by keeping that area looser and it made SPD pain worse. My chiro with DD's pregnancy said that some moves can aggravate it, such as moves that require parting of the legs. I didn't do any yoga with my last pregnancy and didn't have pelvic pain. I think if someone is prone to SPD then yoga is more likely to aggravate it depending on what kind of poses they're doing. I did Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea, I did really like some parts of it but I think I might try something else this time around.

[tracymom1]

I worked out for 4 days and now I am taking today and tomorrow "off" because DH is super busy and can't keep an eye on the little ones. He goes to the gym at 4:30am every day so early mornings are out for me - I usually get in my workout when he gets home but he will be leaving right away. I go for walks with the kids a couple of times a day so I guess that is good movement, too

The nausea is hitting pretty hard right now so I might not be able to do as much as I would like but I am going to try. I injured my wrist and can't put any weight on my flexed hand so yoga is out for a while I am using a homeopathic analgesic cream that has helped wonderfully but I want to give it some time to heal.

Katie, swimming might be a good option for some exercise if the pelvic pain starts up again.

[buckeye_mama]

I have been riding my excercise bike at home for about 40+ mins, every other day...I'm determined to be healthier and limit the weight gain this time around...

I also want to find a prenatal yoga class after the first of the year, and plan on doing some light hand weights on the days I don't ride my bike

the only time I can really excercise is at night after the boys are in bed...it's getting harder as the nausea and exhaustion are increasing, but so far I've been able to push through, and am glad I have!