fitness while pregnant « Back to Group Discussions

[layne]

I was deadlifting 100+ before finding out I was pregnant and am a little sad that this is going to have to take a back burner once my abs separate to make room for my hitchhiker, but I am wondering what everyone else is doing and if anyone else has come up with fun and economical ways to stay fit while waiting for babies.  I plan to walk my son to and from school (2 miles roundtrip) as many times a week as possible, and have been enjoying that time together a lot but miss the intensity of my old workouts too.

[babycatcher12]

Right now I'm so stinking exhausted I count rolling out of bed exercise. 

I plan on jogging a little this next week if I can stay awake long enough after I get home. This is the most tired I have been since I was pregnant with our first baby. 

[cryswilkins]

Originally Posted by babycatcher12 

Right now I'm so stinking exhausted I count rolling out of bed exercise. 

I plan on jogging a little this next week if I can stay awake long enough after I get home. This is the most tired I have been since I was pregnant with our first baby. 

I feel you there!  Holding my head up past 8:30 pm is work.  I work retail on my feet so I count that.  Once I get a little more energy DS and I are going to start walking in the AM.

[beaner&tiegs]

I always planned on continuing eating super healthy once I was pregnant, biking, hiking and exercising lots.  In reality, I'm EXHAUSTED and nauseous and the only thing that sounds good to me is bagels and crackers.  I'm hoping this will improve in the second trimester and I'll be able to stomach my green juices and salads once more!!!  I bought a prenatal yoga dvd the other day and my goal is to do more than take it out of its plastic by next week!!!!!

[Masel]

My routine had been to go to the Y 3 times a week and do 30 to 40 minutes on the eliptical and then do a circuit on the weight machines, some hand weights and stretches to cool down. I had an appointment with the personal trainer to start learning the free wights but he hadn't called me back to finalize things. I guess I'll just let that go. 

So far I've maintained my routine. I partially tore my ACL when DD2 was 5 months old. I'm concerned that if I don't keep my leg muscles strong there won't be anything holding that knee together when pregnancy relaxes my ligaments. 

There is one thing I do that I know I'll have to stop soon. I participate in a form of wester martial arts. It is full contact and we wear a lot of protective gear. There's an event next weekend I plan to participate in and then hang it up until I'm cleared post partum. This time I'll be much more careful in storing my equipment so that it doesn't get fuzzy. 

[maryamrose]

I was also powerlifting (and starting to learn to weightlift) before getting pregnant. I've found that sharp, "snappy" movements don't really feel great anymore.

I've been walking a lot (trying to get at least 5 miles a day - I'm obsessed with walking) and I'm going to get back into swimming after a month-long break (a mile or so a couple times a week, less if I don't feel like it). I've been doing pushups, squats, and dips on my own. I see my trainer once a week and we do some mobility stuff, stretching, and low weight/high rep combos. 

This is, of course, contingent on how good (or awful) I feel on a given day.

Edited by maryamrose - 9/16/11 at 12:21pm

[EmTheWife]

I mostly walk, somewhere between 1-3 very hilly miles a day, depending on how good or unwell I feel.

I chase my toddler around.  That counts, right?

I want to take prenatal yoga, but don't know if the budget will allow it, so I may get a DVD for it.  However, it may not be used very much at home, b/c I'd have DS climbing on me the whole time!

[ruralrabbit]

Newbie here.  :)

Before DS (22 months) I did a lot of teaching group fitness and personal training, now working out at home, mostly, these days.  DVD's in my living room while DS eats his breakfast and watches or taking him out in the running stroller.  Subbing to teach an occasional group fitness class.  We've been taking a 1/2 hour to hour walk as a family at night, too.  Good for hubby and the dog and it seems to settle DS down before bed.  I carry him in the Ergo and feed him finger food while we go.  Between DS and first trimester crazy body, I'm pretty flexible when things don't go or feel as planned.

[Kamiro]

I've been trying to walk a lot more. Two days ago I did a 3 mile beach walk, and I have walked at least 1 mile a few times a week since I found out I was preg 2 weeks ago. Every day I have just been making more of an effort to be active. I think I may do a yoga dvd or something this pregnancy as the weather turns rainy and cold. Still not sure, good ideas though :)

[BubbleMa]

I'm trying to walk more.  I also plan on starting yoga.  Either a DVD or classes somewhere.  Probably a DVD, because it's cheaper.

[Astraia]

I'm going to try to walk every day and get out to the dog park to walk a good circuit (carrying one or both toddlers, likely- especially come winter, slogging through the snow with two toddlers!) about 2-3 times a week. I work retail, too, on my feet all day and find I'm so sore and exhausted by the end of a full shift that all I can think about doing is going to bed.

I was going to look for a kids yoga DVD before I found out I was preg... maybe I'll follow through with that and do it with them? More likely to have them not crawling all over me if it's something geared towards them. Maybe? I hope?

[lindsayjean]

hello!!  I actually used to give lectures on Pregnancy and Exercise back in the day.  I'm an exercise physiologist, former personal trainer (still certified, just not taking clients), yoga instructor, etc etc!  Right now I mostly teach prenatal and kids yoga and LOVE it.  I'd definitely invest in a good prenatal yoga dvd if you don't have a prenatal yoga studio around you.  I HIGHLY recommend the Blooma Be Well DVD (you can find it on Amazon) that my prenatal yoga mentor is the teacher in.  Next best thing to a live class and actually challenging.  You can continue to weightlift, but I would suggest staying away from the snappy movements of powerlifting.  Free weights are fine though!  And I taught spinning until I was 6 months pregnant last time (could've gone longer probably but we moved and I was finishing up my Ex Phys degree at the time!).  If you were already active you can maintain a pretty active exercise routine, just taking care not to push yourself TOO Much and just listening to your body and drinking lots of water.  

I'm actually taking it pretty easy first trimester.  Besides teaching yoga I've pretty much been puking or sleeping (or wishing I could sleep, but taking care of my 4 and 2 yr old).  But I plan to get more regular at the gym and with yoga starting as soon as I feel halfway normal again :-)  

Astraia- check out Namastekid.com  for a kids video for 2.5+ yr olds.  I think you can find it on amazon <3

[Astraia]

lindsayjean- thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out.

[maggiemay81]

Anyone else have gas when they exercise? Sorry weird question... 

[MeredithA]

Ok, I'm definitely going to get a yoga DVD and give that a shot. As of tonight, I am officially done with the only exercise activity I really did - playing on an adult kickball league. At tonight's game, after running to 1st base, I got an intense cramp in both of my sides..like, where my ovaries would be. I'm still a little sore on my left side. It scared me! And it worried DH, who is typically very calm and has an "everything will be just fine" attitude toward the pregnancy. It was such a short distance, I was shocked by the cramps. So...yoga in my living room seems like a nice, safe, exercise for me 

Maggie, I haven't had that experience, but like I said I don't do much exercise aside from a weekly kickball game and playing outside with DS...but I remember being gassy all the time when I was pregnant with my 1st!