I was wondering if anyone knows of cardio or weight machines etc., that are NOT safe during pregnancy? I was doing so well with going to the gym 3-4x a week and haven't been at all since the BFP. I've just been going on walks. I'm paranoid of doing something harmful at the gym. Anyone have advice or know what's safe and what's not? How did your exercise routine change after your BFP? Maybe it didn't?
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My doctor told me to whatever I was doing before I found out was fine to keep doing. When we met with the OB nurse she said don't lift more then 35lbs and don't let your heart-rate get over 140. But 140 isn't very high, so I was going over all the time, and I still do with my workouts. Just listen to your body, if you feel tired or winded slow down. Just make sure to drink even more water when you work out.
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Check with your OB first. Mine told me I didn't need to make any changes to my workout routine in the first trimester. As my pregnancy progressed, she recommended working out at a lower intensity (under 140 beat per minute for my heart rate). And eventually I had to stop floor crunches because the tummy was in my way.
One DVD I really enjoyed was Summer Sanders' workout DVD for all three trimesters.
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The "rule" is that as long as you were doing everything before, you can keep doing it now. Exercise doesn't hurt the baby, in fact, there have been studies to show that it has zero effect on m/c, too. You have to really, seriously overstrain yourself to hurt yourself, IMO. I just don't even believe in the heart rate rule or the weight lifting rules--just using common sense, not getting totally out of breath, etc, as I've continued to do crossfit and lift up to and over 100 pounds with ease. My doctor had initially told me 45 lb, but 45 lb is a joke for me. But drink lots of water and if something hurts, stop. Cardio machines and weight machines are both pretty easy to tailor, so there shouldn't be an issue.
I've stopped crunches in the second trimester because those can make your ab muscles separate more. I have switched to planks and pull ups.
This book was incredibly informational: http://www.amazon.com/Exercising-Through-Pregnancy-James-Clapp/dp/1886039593
They did blind studies on women who did vigorous/intense exercise and compared them to sedentary women. The women in the vigorous group actually had a slightly lower rate of miscarriage. Both groups were in the normal m/c range, though.
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My doctor advised me to continue as I was doing pre-pregnancy, and this included some pretty vigorous workouts. I did modify to make them lower impact but that was a personal choice. I continued spin classes right up until the middle of my third trimester and I did my body pump classes until about 28 weeks I think. As my pregnancy progressed I did have to modify my intensity quite a bit, but it felt good to keep my routine up. I did have to stop at some point because I was physically exhausted just carrying around my belly and I ended up getting gestational high blood pressure. I'm back to the gym now that I'm back to work and it feels great. Don't be afraid to continue your routine. I truly believe it was good for me and helped me keep the desire to go back post-baby.
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My doctor cleared me to continue doing what I was before pregnancy. She just advised me to hydrate, not get overheated, and not push too hard. I have continued to do crossfit since my bfp, and, like @blackbird, have lifted well over 100 lbs with no problems so far. I'm 6 and a half weeks right now and nausea and exhaustion are totally brutal right now, so that is the only thing keeping me out of the gym this week. I miss it.
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It's my understand that you can do all the things you did before, though you'll eventually have to slow down and back off. I'm in month 8 and can definitely tell my body is occupied enough with carrying the baby that too much exercise would just do more harm than good. In the first trimester I didn't really have to change anything!
My midwife advised me to avoid traditional abdominal exercises as my belly grew. They can cause/exacerbate diastasis recti, splitting of the abdominal muscles.
She also warned me about pubic symphysis. As your joints get looser from hormones it's possible to stretch/tear the cartilage that hold together your pubic bones. It can be caused by doing heavily weighted squats and similar exercises (or it can happen in labor, by pushing on your back with people holding your legs!).
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^ yeah definitely don't stretch past your pre-pregnancy abilities. That's not safe at all.
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Check with @JHoller25 she's been going to the gym 4x week since she got pregnant!
If you've been consistently working out, what you did before should be fine now.
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Thanks for the feedback all!
Ok, that's it, no more excuses. It sounds like my routine of 30 mins cardio and 30 mins of weight machines will be just fine. Maybe I'll do lower weights my first time back but yeah. Here we go!
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Good for you!! You will be SO happy if you keep up the workouts- I ran on the treadmill and lifted light weights until about 30 weeks- then it was too hard for me to run, so I switched to walking but still did weights. I think it was instrumental in keeping my pregnancy weight gain at a healthy weight, and now that I'm post-pregnancy, I only have 6 lbs of my 25 that I gained to lose, and my LO is 8 weeks old. I also had a very smooth, natural, unmedicated labor and delivery, which I've heard exercise helps with. I felt FANTASTIC my whole pregnancy too, which I totally attribute to healthy eating and exercise.
My doc said for cardio, be sure to keep it at a level where you can still carry on a normal conversation. It's a pretty good way to monitor your exertion. -
@Pink Champagne: That's a good tip about the being able to talk during cardio. Thanks!
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