Hellobee Boards

My motivation to you is simply: it is hard as hell to lose excess weight post baby =) excess means, all that fat you actually did not need to sustain the pregnancy.
I liked to walk on the treadmill at a brisk pace and an incline. It really kept my booty and legs toned up!!
Also: I liked the elliptical because it was less trauma to my pregnant knees.
I also like Suzanne Summer's pregnancy DVD, but I only did that on my lazy days. I gained 30lbs which was too much for me personally, but I ate like a whale:) and I only started working out the last 11weeks. So, I'm happy with it. I lost it all within 8w.
Also, according to my OB, my pushes we're super strong and my labor was 8h from start to finish.
So, do it!

I walked a ton (at least 4 miles a day) and did prenatal yoga 1-2x/week as soon as I felt up to it.

My motivation was that I wanted to have a natural childbirth and my MWs required that amount of exercise (30-60 minutes of cardio/day + yoga) as part of their practice. Your motivation can be my 45+ hour labor, during all of which I remained physically strong and never asked for meds.

My motivation to get that same amount of exercise during my next pregnancy will be that I lost all of my preg weight + 5 pounds by my 6 week visit. That is *serious* motivation to stay fit during pregnancy.

I walked or the elliptical a ton. I still lifted weights. I miss the days where I could go to the gym after work.

Swimming!

With #1, I walked the dog for 30 minutes a night, and that's about it. For #2 I knew I'd need a little more motivation, so I signed up for a fun "run" for later in my pregnancy to keep me working towards. I spent time on the elliptical and treadmill going at a fast walking pace several times a week. Since this run was family friendly and not timed, I knew I could just go at my own pace and be fine.

I love my Summer Sanders workout DVD - I did Jillian Michaels before getting pregnant, and the Summer Sanders workout is super low key compared to that, but it's much more appropriate for pregnancy.

Ditto @MamaCate - I've really enjoyed salsa classes most and am motivated to go because I actually like it. Prenatal yoga has been kind of eh for me - it feels really hard not to overstretch and I'm hesitant to injure myself. Not convinced it's good for everyone. I started Tai Chi last week and it's certainly not cardio, but I think it has similar mind-body benefits to yoga and feels better to me.

@merbaby14: I've been using this as an excuse and I think it's probably not valid. An hour or two a week probably won't cause much harm, but the exercise is probably very beneficial. I just need to get up the motivation to shave my bikini line. Can't even see it anymore!

i realized that being inactive made my pregnancy exhaustion worse. i also dreaded the thought of starting from ground zero after having the baby - being more exhausted than ever, having lost all my stamina, muscle strength, etc. mentally it's almost impossible some days to get myself to the gym but once i'm there and finish my work out, i'm so glad i did it. if you were active prior to pregnancy, i think it's one of the healthiest decisions you can make - to stay active during pregnancy. it'll allow you to have healthy weight gain and will also help you to blow steam and keep those hormones in check. growing larger than you've ever been also isn't easy - no matter how much self confidence you have. on some days, working out is the only thing that keeps me sane (thank you endorphins) with all the emotional ups and downs.

i'm 32 weeks now and i was running on a treadmill till 28 weeks but it started to strain my back and i've now switched to the elliptical. intensity wise it's the same but much less impact all over. i ran a couple of half marathons in the few months prior to conceiving, so i'm still running 5+ miles at a decent speed but i've cut the intensity a lot from before, obviously. i think your body knows just how much to push yourself.

when i'm lazy and i can't get my butt to the gym, i do stairs for 30 minutes in my building, or do a "cafe mom" work out video on YouTube (there are tons of other options, too). i'm not much of a yoga person but i hear it's SO great for pregnancy. i was always more into pilates but it's too much core work. if my gym had a pool, i'd definitely do water aerobics and swim laps. such a great workout! i also try to squeeze in weights whenever i can - during commercials, while brushing my teeth, etc. i have free weights at home and i'm always doing squats or arm exercises here and there. it all adds up. lastly, allow yourself BTN days - "better than nothing" days. you don't have to run crazy miles or do 2 hours of yoga a day. i aim to run 3 times a week and the other days i'll just go for a long walk, do more errands than usual, stairs, a weight workout, stretching, hiking, etc. when your baby arrives, you'll be so glad you stuck with it! all that effort adds up. good luck!