Staying active - Page 4 « Back to Group Discussions

[Veritas Vitae]

My DP met me at my sisters house after spending the holidays with his parents and I finally had some motivation to work out. We went for a roughly 20 minute run but the air is a little thin 5000 feet above sea level, which I'm used to, so then we just went to the gym for the next 40 minutes. Besides feeling exhausted now, I've felt very energetic all day.

[Lizbiz]

OK Ladies!  My cold is waning and with it, my morning sickness is (cross my fingers) becoming more predictable and manageable - I am going to try to do something active tomorrow morning (Saturday!).  It takes me about one hour from wake up to fully coming alive getting over barfy feeling to get into the shower now... so pre-work workouts are out for just now - but I'm thinking I might be able to get in a quick jog over a lunch hour or two next week too.  :)  

[lisarenee25]

My exercise routine is 5-6 days per week.

Mondays - Step

Tuesday - Zumba

Wednesday - basket ball

Thursday - zumba

friday - basketball

Saturday - rest or zumba

If I miss anything, I go to the gym and do treadmill/elliptical for 45 minutes.

I've been doing this since April so it's part of my routine.  i have done it through the entire trimester and plan on continuing.

[IntuitiveJamie]

That's very impressive lisarenee!

[LilyTiger]

I did a 4.5 mile run today, which is the longest since I found out I was pregnant and my first run in a few weeks (crappy weather).  I'm pretty happy to know the cardio ability is still there.  Felt really good.  School starts back up next week, so even though I won't be teaching, I'll be around campus so I can use the indoor track.  Other than mild nausea pretty much continuously today, things felt ok.

LizBiz, you can do it!  I always feel like crap when I start out, but sooooo much better after.

Veritas - Glad you're feeling better.  I'm hoping my current level of energy keeps up.  I just wish I could get my brain back.

lisarenee, I loved Zumba!  I did it when I was easing back into working out after a back injury.  It's a great workout and the music is addictive.  When are you due?

[lisarenee25]

Technically on the last day of July - but I'm chronically overdue.  I will probably deliver in the second week in August I would guess.  I think I'm like 10 weeks 1 day or something like that.

[lisarenee25]

I do love Zumba as well.  I was actually surprised.  The Saturday morning teacher is quite high impact, and now that my ms in waning I can finally do it.

Actually, today I was able to spin around without feeling dizzy or sick.  What a freeing feeling that was.  It's been so long.  It was like, I could breathe again.

[Thandiwe]

I want to be more active this pregnancy than normally.  I started this pregnancy needing to lose about 40# already () and had an 11.3# baby 2 kids ago.  I tested elevated on the glucose screen, so they sent me for the extended fasting, and that was barely in normal range.  He ended up being gigantic.  I watched my sugars through blood monitoring at home and had an 8#10oz baby last time (my first was 8#4oz so this last one was more "normal" for me).  I'm reasonably sedentary, but that needs to change.  I've been battling horrendous morning sickness and exhaustion but I got out for a nice long walk today.  We're in the northern Midwest, so our winters are cold and snowy, but this one has been reasonably mild.  Nice for walks!  I need to find alternates like a treadmill here at our townhouse complex (when it's not being used) and walking our stairs here in our house several times a day to elevate my blood pressure and count as exercise.  I refuse to have another enormous baby; that one hurt like heck!!

[Lizbiz]

Hey Guys!  I did it!  I got out with my 2 year old in our stroller, walked her all over the place then we played at the playground for an hour and walked back :)!  Yay!  

And, this is so pathetic, but my quads are super sore today (insert sheepish grin).  That goes to show how inactive I've been - if going for a long WALK makes me sore!  Two months ago I was running 35-40 miles a week :).  

I'm going to try to start running again this week. It's my new goal :).  I haven't gained any weight yet, but my husband and I both think that it's because I've been trading all of my muscle for fat, which is lighter ;).  Yesterday's walk makes me think that could be very close to the truth.  

Anyway - it felt really good. I'm back in the game!!! 

[fazer6]

Lily thank you so much for those suggestions. They're fantastic. The only other non lying down exercise I can add is stand up holding arms straight, lean to one side as far as you can keeping flat, and then lean to the other. It's a back exercise. The main key I think to keeping comfortable at the end (which is gonig to be interesting being that big in August) is stomach muscles so the bump doesn't get too big, and back muscles. I'll find pictures of my first 2 pregnancies, 3 months inbetween so for the second my bump was huge. No exercises inbetween so I was a whale at the end. I'm small framed so that huge belly looked even bigger!

[LilyTiger]

Clare, glad they were helpful!  I totally agree on the importance of stomach and back strength.  I have a bulging disc that is only now getting under control, so I do not want that sucker popping back out when I'm carrying a bowling ball on my belly.

For everyone's info, I started a thread about training for a short race some time in the second trimester if anyone is interested in training with me.  A lot of ladies are struggling with terrible fatigue and m/s, so I understand this will be a limited group, but there were some runners and so on up thread who had some races planned.  Here's the link if anyone's interested: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1340558/pregnancy-and-race-training-club-anyone-interested#post_16809599

[LilyTiger]

Also, because I have no life, I found this helpful pregnancy workout sheet.  It has lists of pelvic floor exercises and so on.  Anyway, thought it might be helpful for mammas looking for more core work and pelvic floor stuff.  And now I should go do something other than search the internet. 

http://pregnant.thebump.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tools/articles/tool-pregnancy-workout-plan.aspx

[Lizbiz]

Hi Lily Tiger!  Thanks for the link... I'll check that out sometime.  I'm so looking forward to making this a healthy pregnancy and now that I think (fingers crossed) that I'm past the worst of m/s topped by a nasty cold last week - I would love to race.  I'm thinking I'd like to convince my husband to race the Great Wall Marathon (that will take about 3 seconds to convince him ;) and then at the same race, I'd either run the 1/2 marathon or the 10k, whichever seems more sane as time goes on.  I would totally be hiking the 1/2 marathon - as opposed to racing.  At that point, I'd be around 27-28 weeks or so, I believe.  

I ran a 5-mile race when I was 7 months pregnant with my 1st and I really ran it pretty well.  I don't know if I would put myself on a real regimented training schedule with speedwork and tempo runs like I would if I were not pregnant - but I think I'll just focus on staying consistent and getting some nice long runs in - with plenty of water/snack breaks! 

I got out for a 3 mile jog followed by actual sit ups this morning - so I'm feeling pretty good!  I also napped like a rockstar this afternoon as a result.  I forgot how awesome sleep is after exercise!  

[fazer6]

Lily Tiger that's superb, no don't stop googling. Keep googling and find us all these good tips. Now on the Kegals front, has everyone seen the squatting article that went around? http://slowmama.com/health-wellness/dont-know-squat-about-pfd/ Don't just do kegals, it's the squatting that's important. I think squat and do 10 kegals in that position (think that was on a follow up article to that one). I used to do the hip opener yoga here http://www.prenatalyogacenter.com/cmps_index.php?page=free-yoga-videos I liked the video, felt it was useful and it's free and online, bonus! There wer esome prenatal yoga things on the TV but tbh I thought they were a bit wishy washy and didn't really do much. I'm not after tiny little movements, ok maybe waggling your foot round and round may be useful, but can we not mix it up with some proper stuff that actually gets us moving. I don't know if anyone's a yoga expert but there are a lot of things on youtube. I don't know yoga so well so don't know which are good and which aren't.

My other half has a few discs that have been a big jiggly in their time. He found the bowen technique useful so it might be worth checking out if you have a problem. It sounds very hippy new age, but after 3 sessions he had so much more mobility in his arm and felt so much better, it helped way more than 3 months of physio that just left him feeling awful.

[LilyTiger]

LizBiz, I'm totally coming out to China for the Great Wall marathon!  Ok, maybe not really, but how freaking cool is that?  I would love to do something like that eventually.  If you guys do it, you have to post pics.

Clare, that article on squatting is great!  I didn't know that about the glutes and the pelvic floor.  Fortunately, I do a lot of lunges and squats.  It's also good because I find Kegels incredibly boring.  Those links are really helpful.  I had really forgotten about yogi squats.

A really good combo exercise is to do walking lunges with a dumbbell held straight overhead.  Your abs have to be totally engaged to control the movement and of course you get those beautiful glutes in on the action.  Very good preggo move.  I'm also going to try to do at least half an hour of my internet surfing in a squat position (with some shifting and so on allowed).  I don't have enough flexibility yet to do it without a counterweight, but squatting at the coffee table with my laptop should be a good way to get those muscles and ligaments doing their job.

I will also check out the bowen technique.  I've been doing Mackenzie moves that have kept the disc in line so far, but every so often it just pops back out again and I'm in excruciating pain for a week.  Yikes.

[fazer6]

I've often had to make a fist and push on my other half's back, or brace myself while he pushes into my fist to get things back in line. His was caused by pulling on a massive roll of paper in a previous job. Off and on for years and years it would come and go. When it was really bad and he was in physio once a week I was told about the bowen technique. It's basically about aligning your nerves and stuff in the whole body realising that a nerve that ends in the back may have the other end in a foot. I wouldn't believe it all if I hadn't seen it work. Physio for 3 months and he still couldn't move his arm above horizontal, 3 sessions of the bowen technique and he could move it to shoulder height.

I've always been a kegal person. I've always done kegals and think I did them regularly during my first pregnancy, but still towards the end was crossing my legs when I coughed. I think it was too many kegals, not enough squats.

I try to squat next to my son when he's in the back to get some good squatting in. This pregnancy I am determined to keep myself all sorted out and keep up with the right muscle groups with appropriate exercises. Shit back to back pregnancies properly took their toll http://www.flickr.com/photos/fazer6/4187066389/ Have a look at the size of that bump, he was only 8lb. My boobs are 30G so the fact that they look tiny shows how big the bump was!

[cillian]

Thanks for all the links they are great! I find that while preg I need to be even more vigilant about exercise than normal... Will aim for 4 to 5 x a week of walking or biking and then some yoga toning pilots or something after that!

[mcampa]

So excited for active mommies! I have been on and off active-non-active-very-active for the last several years and was at my healthiest weight pre-pregnancy. I am trying hard to keep up with my workouts since like pennywhistle it does so much for my mental health. I use to run but my DP has a fear that it will harm the baby (although penny don't worry - my bff is also a distance runner and ran during her entire pregnancy with no complications) so I have traded for the elliptical and walking out of respect for his concerns. I don't feel like I am getting a good workout on the elliptical though so I have mostly been walking. I like to push myself with a goal when working out so I have been trying to walk faster and further lately. I am also excited to start a water aerobics class at my gym -- although I slept through the first one yesterday so hopefully I make it tomorrow!

I really believe in the benefits of social support to stay active (because although it feels good when it’s done it is so hard to stay motivated especially with the preggo tiredness, nausea, whaleish feeling, etc) so here are my goals for the week:

Monday (opps! slept through water aerobics): 2 mile walk with dog

Tuesday: 2.5 mile walk with dog

Wednesday: Water aerobics

Thursday: 2.5 mile walk with dog

Friday: Water aerobics

Saturday: 3 mile walk with dog

Sunday: 3 miles walk with dog

I know a day of rest is usually in order but if walking is my workout is that still needed??

[mcampa]

Originally Posted by Lizbiz 

Hey Guys!  I did it!  I got out with my 2 year old in our stroller, walked her all over the place then we played at the playground for an hour and walked back :)!  Yay!  

And, this is so pathetic, but my quads are super sore today (insert sheepish grin).  That goes to show how inactive I've been - if going for a long WALK makes me sore!  Two months ago I was running 35-40 miles a week :).  

I'm going to try to start running again this week. It's my new goal :).  I haven't gained any weight yet, but my husband and I both think that it's because I've been trading all of my muscle for fat, which is lighter ;).  Yesterday's walk makes me think that could be very close to the truth.  

Anyway - it felt really good. I'm back in the game!!! 

GREAT WORK Lizbiz, Veritas, Lisarenee, Lily -- YEAH for Strong Mommas. 

Thandiwe -- the intention, motivation and desire is there - take the step - if you pushed out an 11# baby - you can totally take charge of your exercise routine.

[IntuitiveJamie]

Mcampa-I love walking. Good for you for walking so much!

I got on the treadmill last night. And I'm looking forward to water aerobics on Thursday.  I'm going to start incorporating my prenatal yoga dvd two times a week. I think the sessions are only about 20 min., which is doable. As much as I hate them, I know how impt. the squats are. This dvd does a lot of them.