Exercise . . . what does everyone do?

[Babytime]

I'm an active person. I do a lot of rollerblading, which obviously I won't be doing this summer! I also like to walk, swim and workout inside. I have a stationary bike, elliptical machine and stepper and I alternate those.

We belong to Netflicks and I requested they send me some prenatal exercise videos!!! Last pregnancy I bought a couple and hated them so I never used them. Any suggestions of good videos? The ones I bought were way too slow and boring.

Dani

[chocomoto]

I go to the gym twice a week and do a variety of things...weights, eliptical trainer, classes,etc.
I just finished reading Exercising Through Your Pregnancy (by James Clapp) and this has given me the confidence and motivation to keep up my regular activities. It's an excellent book and I would recommend highly!

[Artemisia]

I am signed up for a belly dancing class this summer. I wonder though if I should do it?

[3_opihi]

Oh Artemisia, you should definitely do the belly dancing. I think I was just reading somewhere that long ago it was actually used to show pregnant women the moves to help them birth their babies.

I go to the gym, and walk or run about 2 miles a day. I haven't been sure if I should keep it up, so I'm definitely going to check out chocomama's book. Other than chasing my 4 and 1 year olds around I would also like to take a prenatal yoga class.

[Celtain]

uuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmm, I try to avoid exercise at all costs!! LOL Once in a while i will go for a walk with friends, but that's about it. Other than the normal running around that goes with having 3 kids, I get no intentional exercise.

[Bunches]

I think I'll take it easy until I get through the first 12 weeks. But, I LOVE walking and hiking!!! So..... I don't think I'll cut out the walks. I usually walk to work which is about 2 miles. Also, I love swimming so I'd like to incorporate more swimming into my routine! Oh.... and prenatal yoga!

[mama-mukti]

I take classes and also am just starting to teach prenatal yoga. You should definitely take it easy on yourself the first 12 weeks - after that - just do whatever you did before but try to be consistent.

[pixiexto]

We do a tonne of walking, and I"ll be keeping that up as long as possible... right up to the end, hopefully! I also do moderate strength & conditioning work and yoga.

[Throkmorton]

I walk 3-5 miles per day with a stroller and 2 year old in tow. Other than that, housework counts as exercise, right?

[tofumama]

I run 3-4 miles most days, and I keep that up until about month 6, then I switch to walking, as I tend to be a klutz! I also lift weights, and I am going to start back up with yoga 2-3 days a week. I hike and swim as well as chase 2 toddlers!

[Throkmorton]

I only have one question: tofumama, how the heck do you do that? Wow!

[rubysmomjess]

tofumama you are amazing!
I run a couple of time a week...I'm goign to run the Bolder Boulder on Monday as long as I feel up to it. Otherwise when I get too big to run I walk and do prenatal yoga. There is a Kundalini prenatal video that I liked mostly 'cause it really helped my sore back in my first pregnancy. I look up the name when I get home.

[milk4two]

I've been going to curves 5x a week. Now that I'm starting to feel a little queasy I hope I can keep it up.

[tofumama]

I've been running most of my life, and if I go too long without I get very cranky! :LOL To the point dh will say, 'Don't you want to go running today?' Hmm, hint hint. I have to either get up at 5:30 am before dh goes to work, or I go when he gets home. The yoga/wts I do when I can with the kids...I don't have time to do a whole routine unfortunately, but I might sneak in 15 mins here and there. But running keeps me sane!

[aimcar]

I walk about 3 miles 4 or 5 times a week - with a stroller and a 2.5 year old. I'm also doing prenatal yoga which I LOVE, and next week some pregnant friends and I are going to start doing water aerobics in a friend's pool! Pretty soon it will be too hot here to walk so I will probably switch to some prenatal exercise DVDs. I'm really hoping I can stay active until the end. My last pregnancy had lots of complications toward the end, and I wasn't allowed to exercise at all. :(

[paniscus]

I walk/run 3.5 miles a day but i have changed that to just walking. I am kind of spotty with my weight routine. I do it when I can. I saw another thread that had a link to a prenatal pilates tape. I thought about getting that. I have never tried pilates but have heard wonderful things about it. I am hoping to find a prenatal yoga class around here somewhere because I have heard such good things about it.

[Proudmom]

Run 3X week and walk the other days. It is usualy 3-4 miles a day - just some days are faster than others :)

I have started doing more crunches to get my abs back in shape to help me through this pregnancy. I also will do more yoga.

With my first pregnancy, I was VERY active. I jogged/walked/hiked up until delivery. I also did yoga.

[HokieGirl]

At what point do you switch from regular yoga to prenatal yoga? I've been taking yoga classes for about a year - not having any problems yet - in fact, my balance last night was probably my best ever :) - but no tummy yet to throw me off :)

Other than yoga once a week, i try to hit the gym for some weights and aerobic activity -ellipitical, treadmill, bike. I also like to walk/hike outside and love biking the rail trails around here. Can't wait till the cicadas go away - don't mind the bugs, but they are sooooo loud now that they give me a headache.

[tofumama]

I di yoga through both pg. and never took a pre-natal class. A good teacher can advise you what poses are safe for you at various points. Deep twists, lying on your back or stomach for poses, and inversions (headstands) are pretty much no-no's after the first trimester. Beyond that you just have to really listen to your body. :)

[Proudmom]

HokieGirl - I did exactly what tofumama suggests. If you let the teacher know, he/she can lead you into pose modifications. They may give you a bolster to lay on so you are inclinded or suggest other adjustments.

[VegasMama]

I just started a yoga video (Crunch Mama) last week, but like some others commented it is way too slow for me. I think I'll save that for when I am farther along. But maybe not, because this morning I only made it through 20 min and I was lightheaded and puking in the sink. My m/s is constant and strong.
What I am interested in is a Prenatal Pilates video because I was doing Pilates before and I really liked how strong it made my core muscles which are the muscles for birth and how that helps with posture and back pain. So I will order one of those soon and get going with that. My instructor also said that her class was okay for being pregnant and I found the class to be very challenging for me when I wasn't pregnant. So that may just be the ticket for those looking for a good workout and one that is functional for birth.
At least stay up with walking and stretching and basic yoga stretches. It makes all the difference when it comes to the big moment!

[Delfina]

I mostly work out at the gym - elliptical trainer, treadmill and bike. But, I would love to find a prenatal water aerobics class. On the East Coast they had one in an outdoor pool. It was fun and refreshing in the summer and easy on the joints (I was due in Sept).