Any runners or other avid exercisers? « Back to Group Discussions

[kms7z]

Is anyone else a runner? I'm trying hard to maintain my workouts as much as a I can before fatigue sets in. With my past pregnancies I was so wiped out in the first trimester that I think I didn't exercise for a month or two... I'm trying to avoid that this time around but it will be so hard bc it is winter! Last pregnancy I ran until the late second trimester but I had slowed down a lot and kinda switched over to walking from there.

What are others doing for exercise beyond walking? And how long do you think you'll keep it up?

Oh, I'm also trying to do 20 minute yoga podcasts a few times a week too.

[letniaLynne]

Kms7z I understand how your feeling, I was in the best shape of my life this past year physically and mentally. Biking keeps me fit and sane! I love to mountain bike, during the good weather I was getting out 2-3 times a week and one of those times for a 4 hour ride. I felt amazing and so alive. But as it gets colder and colder it becomes harder to enjoy since my fingers, toes and nose go numb! I was getting out about once a week up till I got pregnant. Then Snow really hit! I have been debating going for a ride when the weather gets a bit better or on a weekend afternoon when I don't have to ride in the dark and super cold.
But this sport had another problem...you do run the risk of getting hurt easily. I've flown off my bike and landed on my face a few times lol and I find it strange to leave a ride without a bump or scratch. All this put together has been holding me back from riding while pregnant.
I think I could go for a nice safe ride on simple fire roads just for exercise but honestly I find them really boring. Wondering if I am going to have to wait till after baby to start this up again *cry*. The fun of flying down a twisty semi rocky trail or clearing a foot high log has kind of been lost since I think I'll be worried about making a mistake and slamming my belly into the handle bars and if your worried your going to get hurt you will hesitate at the wrong time and really get hurt.

I'm not sure if ill be really exercising this pregnancy unless I can find something I enjoy, I was never one to exercise just because I should it was always because I enjoyed the activity. This topic has really been causing me a ton of stress and heart acke during the past few weeks. Thanks for giving us a place to talk about it.

[countrybound]

When I'm not pregnant I run about 3 miles a day 5 times a week, but due to a miscarriage I've had in 2008 I don't run while pregnant anymore. I know that was most likely not the cause, but I can't get the fear out of my head so I just don't do it. However, I do belong to a gym and will do some swimming, light zumba, walking and the elliptical. I also plan on using the weight machines to tone muscle in my legs and arms. Not a fan of yoga as that's too slow for me.

[chispita]

I hate running, but I do yoga. The only problem is that due to laziness and other things interfering I had basically stopped going to yoga in December; so now I've got to kick my butt into gear and get serious about going now whilst I have no pregnancy symptoms that might interfere!

Ideally, I would like to go to yoga every day. But reallistically, since I'm taking a photo class that ends late on Wednesdays and requires a significant amount of homework, I'm aiming for Monday and Wednesday mornings, plus the Friday evening unwind class.

Also I want to get back into the habit of taking the stairs, not the elevator, and walking as much as possible (my trick for that was to make myself take errands just about every day - for example, instead of buying food for the week, just buy enough for 1 or 2 days, and then walk to the grocery store).

[CDsMom1031]

I was running three or four times a week. I've switched to walking and riding a bike now.

[KellyandKatie]

well, I run our small farm, that is about four hours of sweat breaking work a day, lots of heavy lifting. I was just thinking about milking my goats and cow by hand while I am full term lol

And I will be full term for hog processing not to mention all the lighter processings 

I am trying to picture how I will do what I need to do safely with my big belly when the time comes 

just this weekend before I knew I was pregnant we hauled and stacked two tons of hay, and I am due to do that again in three weeks hmmm hmmm hmmm 

and my gardening and my orchards... hmmm hmmm hmmmmm 

yeah I do not know how my work load will change hmmmmm 

[katalopolis]

Not a runner, but I do have a physically taxing hobby, historical fencing (think three musketeers and knights with two-handed swords).

I haven't decided what I'm going to do about all of this yet which is silly because this is NOT an unplanned baby, we've been thinking about it for a year. I haven't been feeling really tired yet (though it's still early days for me) so I figure that I might as well keep going to class and doing what I do until such time as it starts to feel uncomfortable for me. Sometime in the next month or so I might stop full-speed sparring work but I don't really feel the need to yet.

[kms7z]

fencing?  wow!  i wonder if your instructor has had any pregnant students before?

I've been trying to keep up the running a few days a week.  But I've been feeling kinda wonky (weak or low blood sugar) so I had to stop and walk a few times.  i think i need to concentrate on putting quality food in my body.  kind of a good thing (but also a worrisome thing) is that my boobs are not so sore so they can handle the bounce :) 

[katalopolis]

I know one other regular member was pregnant a few years ago but I signed up around the time she was 7ish months along and had already stopped coming for lessons (her husband is one of the instructors) but I'm reluctant to start asking about how long she kept it up when I am not yet telling people about me yet!

[vegrunr]

I exercise 3-4x a week and ran my last half marathon at the end of  September.  I am really into hot yoga these past few months so I have to figure out if that's still a go or not.  It's not super-hot Bikram yoga, but 85-95 degrees Vinyasa.  It is a very intense workout so I will definitely have to modify it if I continue to go.  I went to a less intense, not hot class last night and it was fine but I didn't like it as much.  I ran this weekend for about a half hour and have also been doing elliptical and stepper.  Last pregnancy I stopped running at 16 weeks as it just felt uncomfortable and then I did the elliptical until about 20 weeks.  After that I took long walks or hikes for fitness.  I have a 28 month old so when I'm home with him, I am definitely moving : )  I plan to get a pregnancy yoga dvd as well to practice a few times a week at home. Sometimes it is hard for me to accept that my body may need the rest more than a workout.  I am so used to going to the gym certain days/times, it's hard to break routine.  But I know that I do need to listen to my body and do what feels right which may or may not be continuing with as strict/intense of a workout routine. 

[haurelia]

In my first pregnancy, I did spin class 3-4 times a week until about 30 weeks along with yoga and weight training a couple times a week. Around 30 weeks, I dropped spinning, just walked, did yoga and my weight training routine.   It was awesome, and I stayed super strong and fit, and worked out the day before I gave birth.  The problem? I kept myself on "maternity leave" from exercise for about, oh, 3.5 years after my kid was born.  I walked/hiked, did some biking, snowshoeing, casual XC skiing, but only casually, not intentionally or regularly.  I ate tons and drank lots of red wine and beer, gave myself treats a lot, and got pissed that I was not losing weight. Derp. 

Now, TTC this baby, I got serious about spinning again about 6 months ago. I go to 3-4 classes a week, and do a light weight training workout at home 2-3 times a week.  I do practice yoga at home, but don't go to a regular class.  I'd like to keep all this up as long as possible!  As my midwife said last time, I'm fine as long as I don't introduce something strenuous and new during pregnancy.  As long as I've been doing it, keep doing it as long as it feels good.  I plan to allow myself few excuses, motivated by the fact that I pay for spinning in advance and will be heading into the spring and summer when it's easy, free and fun to hike and exercise outdoors.  I do get nervous about riding bikes once I get a big belly...so I'll probably not do a lot of biking this summer. 

[letniaLynne]

As soon as this morning sickness ends( I am soooooooo sick right now) I plan to get moving again. I plan to take it easy and build myself back up to where I was before I got sick but I agree keeping moving is critical to a healthy pregnancy. I think spinning would be a great way to get moving again since I love to mountain bike. It's not the same but at least their is a bike involved lol