Hi everyone:
I just had my first OB appointment today, and am very lucky to have a (so far) healthy little bean on board. However, he told me that I should keep my heart rate below 150 BPM when exercising. I just went on a run today with an HRM, tried to go slow, and saw that my average heart rate was 177. I also did a 15K this past weekend, didn't wear an HRM, and know for a fact that I was pushing. Oops 
. I'm trying not to panic, but want to know what other runners' experiences with running have been while pregnant? Am I harming my baby by being over that 150 BPM mark? I am by no means a fast/furious runner (pre-pregnancy my fastest miles were 8:40 or so), but I've lowered the intensity since finding out about the baby. I want to strike the balance between healthy and safe, and since this is my first, I'm pretty clueless. Thanks to anyone who wants to share her experience!
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I was a little overly cautious during the first tri but I never used a hrm, I just listened to my body and took frequent breaks. I never had any issues! Congrats!!!
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Supposedly the HR guideline is old/outdated advice. That said, I haven't run since I got pregnant. I would take it easy when anything isn't feeling right!
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@Pirouette: thank you!!! Yes, I need to slow down I think.@spaniellove: thanks for the tips! I want to keep some cardiovascular fitness, but clearly not harm my baby in any way. Time to ditch the watch and listen to my body!
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My midwife said that having my HR up above 150 was OK for the short time I run (under 5 miles). I am 21 weeks and finding that to feel good while running I have to drop my pace and take some walk breaks. But it's better than in the first tri when I felt sick and exhausted!!!
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I never wore a heart rate monitor while pregnant and just slowed down if I felt I needed to. I ran a half marathon at 18 weeks and ran up until 30 weeks when plantar fasciitis struck. I did crossfit after that. No problems at all! Hope you have a healthy, active pregnancy
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I think the 150 bpm is an old rule. My ob told me not to lift more than 45 lb, which is insanely light for me. I went off the talk test...if I could carry a conversation. I was ok. If I got breathless, I would slow down. Also how I felt. It wasn't long before I could feel the toll on my body.....Your body adapts wonderfully to exercise while pregnant. The placenta develops more veins to carry oxygen to the baby, etc. So keep moving
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Last time around my doc said of I was an avid rubber I could keep running and just to listen to my body, not a monitor. A ran until 20 wks when it became uncomfortable due to pressure on my cervix.
I don't know what I will do next pregnancy. I'm in good shape but now live at a high altitude and ended up being high risk last time.
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I had lots of spotting with my last pregnancy, so I stopped running. For this pregnancy (it's super early) I have been sticking to the elliptical. Once the weather gets nicer I'm planing on power walking with LO in the BOB.
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My midwife gave me the same advice, but then said I could do whatever I had done before being pregnant. So I took it to mean don't do any sprint intervals or anything and incorporate plenty of walk breaks, but yeah, when I'm working out on the treadmill my heartrate definitely can go up to 180 and as long as I take a break after I think it's safe, at least for me...
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Runner here. My heart rate has gone high as 180 during my pregnancy and it's been fine. I think however it really depends on your baseline before getting pregnant. My rule of thumb is, can I still carry on a conversation? I never push myself too hard and can usually tell what my limit is. I took it easy during the first trimester though just to be safe (I was paranoid) and was able to maintain my stamina and picked things up again in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. But the intensity is still a lot lower than pre-pregnancy.
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Thanks,everyone, for the awesome stories and advice! My HRM arrives tomorrow, so I'm hoping that and the "talk test" will help me stay comfortable with pace and effort.
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Agree with PP, the heart rate standard is super old. I ran a half marathon at 9 weeks and just kept it so I could talk pretty easily for most of the race. Now that I am almost 17 weeks I just find that I naturally am slower and try to listen to my body. My distances are a lot shorter too, which is fine. I don't wear or own a HRM, I just gauge it based on how "winded" I feel.
Side note: I found that running + exercise really helped with the nausea, even if I had to push myself to get out there cause I felt so lousy.
Wishing you a happy, healthy and active pregnancy!!
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