Roll up, roll up: it's the ante-natal fitness motivation club. All welcome

[sputnik]

Some of us on the June thread wanted to get together and give each other some support and motivation for a bit of exercise in pregnancy, and, not wanting to disturb others on our thread who just wanted to chill out in peace, thanks, thought it'd be a good idea to set up a new thread for everyone on the ante-natal threads, all welcome.

We're not talking marathon training or anything here, but it would be great to have a place where we could share our experiences of exercise in all stages of pregnancy, swap tips and links, and gently motivate each other when we might be flagging a bit. I for one am in serious need of it, having spent xmas doing nothing more strenuous than chewing on quality streets.

So, who's up for it?

[sputnik]

Ooh that site has a demo of my back one too, - kneeling bird dogs under core exercises.

[marylou23]

Hello! Can I join?
Went to pilates yesterday for first time in about a million years, and it really felt good. If anyone wants something very nice to do with one of those balls, just sit on it, then kind of do a square with your bum (ie start at one corner, pushing your bum out right, and work your way round, as if it's tracing a large square, then reverse it - does that make any sense?). Really loosens up the lower back.Oh, and for your obliques (the side tummy muscles which are the ones you can work), leg lifts are good apparently - just sit on ball, tighten pelvic floor then lift one leg at a time straight out ahead from the knee, trying your best not to wobble (the stronger your pelvic floor gets the more balanced you'll be. Or so my instructor told me when I fell off...) Other than that, basically did huge amount of pelvic floor (you have to try and pull up from behind as well as the front, apparently), and a bit of arms because, as the instructor kindly pointed out, I have no muscles in my shoulders and I should probably try and build some if I'm going to be lifting a baby... Don't know if I did that much work, but just the very act of going to a class made me feel more human/myself again. Next stop the gym... maybe next week!!

[catstar]

Thanks Sputnik and Marylou - these look like great exercises and mean that I can at last put my Swiss Ball to good use! I am also going to try going back to my old spinning class tomorrow, with the assistance of a heart rate monitor.

A quick question regarding aqua natal : When is it most beneficial to start these classes - towards the end of the pregnancy or all the way through? Also, I'm not a swimmer (a bit nervous in the water) does this matter for aqua natal?

Thanks for the inspiration!

[strawberri]

Catstar, thats just what I wanted to know re aquanatal, thanks! I've just got my fab new maternity swimsuit from the figleaves sale and want to put it to use. sorry if I'm repeating myself but recommend this site for some great bargains on maternity bras and swimsuits.

Cheers marylou and sputnik, ball sounds fun, even just for bouncing! like bouncing.

[Tutter]

hi, another one here, keen to avoid putting on the 3st i managed to last time around. this time i'm seeing a fitness guy - specialist in antenatal and postnatal work. will pass on any tips he gives me, but so far i've been told to try to keep my hb below 150 (i'm 36) and do plenty of walking and/or swimmming.

strawberri - hi, sorry to be a teller-offer when we haven't 'spoken' before, but it pains me to see the use of 'spaz'. i'm guessing you prob didn't think before using it, but it can be offensive.

[bumperlicious]

Well done for starting this sputnik.
I literally had done nothing since ms kicked in. Used to do gym at least once a week, ashtanga yoga twice a week, and kung fu and cycled to work. But was just too tired and sick for 3 months, so fitness has just gone! Finally went back to yoga, and even still am struggling a bit with that as I feel pretty week, but I have also started swimming lessons too. I can swin, but badly and hate putting my face in the water, so having improver lessons. Only one so far (felt knackered all week from it!) but already I feel so much better now I am a bit more active. Worried about my weight as I am prone to weight gain, specially now my eating has increased and exercise decreased, but it's a start.
My yoga teacher has just done an antenatal course and now needs a private client for a case study and has asked if I would like to do it. Very excited as he will also help me build up to the birth. Can still do my ashtanga yoga, but getting to the point where there are some moves that I can't do and fed up with feeling 'special' as he has to show me variations on what everyone else is doing.
I have a swiss ball too, must start using it again.
I'm going to search for aquanatal classes. I did try normal aqua classes once but wanted to shoot myself it was so slow and patronising!
Good luck everyone!

[sputnik]

Planned a walk today but poor DD isn't well and had to stay home from nursery. Even clapped out on the sofa with fever though she still insists on watching her boogie beebies dvd (even doing some of the moves, bless her), so have got a little dancing in, which is better than nothing.

[strawberri]

I did'nt mean to cause any offence, sorry.

[maveta]

Just want to say good on you all! I have moments of mad gym-ness i.e. normally 6 months of 4 weekly sessions in winter when working less followed by 6 months of nothing more than stress working me out! This has been my pattern for years now.

I got pregnant in July and was so sure I would be up on the fitness thing that I paid 3 months gym membership in advance. I went 3 times. What a waste of money, I´ve never done that with my gym memberships before. Basically lots of work and overwhelming first trimester fatigue (thought not ms) put paid to that. Now at 25+4 weeks I just feel too lazy to force myself to get into a routine but am trying to walk as much as possible daily and also at least 3 hour long walks a week.

Waffling a bit but wanted to say, I had good intentions that look more or less lost for the remainder of this pregnancy at least. Will be back in the gym as soon as humanely possible afterwards though. Just want to say well done to all of you keeping it up, good effort! This thread might just have given me the extra push I needed a couple of months ago..

[sputnik]

Hi Maveta, actually 3 hour-long walks a week sounds pretty good to me! Maybe try and get in some gentle stretching at home too? I posted a link below to a site with some stuff that doesn't look too strenuous, it's not too late! Know what you mean about the 1st trimester, I think it's like that for most people.

[strawberri]

Hi , just had a recommendation from my yoga teacher to buy video called rajashree's pregnancy yoga, Anyone heard of it? Will let you know once I have it...

Wondered who has excersise video at home that they use? Is it easier than going to class or tough to get motivated? Just been looking and there's hundreds of them!!

[maveta]

Thanks for that link Sputnik, will have a look but I think on the whole if I just keep walking walking walking whenever I can (when I work 3 days a week it´s 10mins to the train this end, 25mins to my work at the other end and then return at night the same way then my 3 longer walks on the days I don´t work) and in the next couple of weeks will start my prenatal exercise classes, should be good.

I am terrible at home workout videos..I need an instructor yelling at me or I just wander off for a cup of tea and watch the dvd from the sofa, you know, to ´get the hang of it by watching´first

[sputnik]

Hope you're not all slacking already you lot!

I have been told to rest fro 2 days as I had an amnio done then hopefully can get back to the programme.

[annobal]

Hi all, have been to the gym 2 days so far this week and planned to go again on Thursday. I was told that I couldn't do yoga until I was 16 weeks (hadn't been doing it previously for a good 6 months). Anyone know why? Is pilates the same?

[annobal]

PS I like the whip cracking Sputnik and the amnio is a great excuse...

[strawberri]

My yoga teacher said no one before 13 weeks just to be safe, think teachers worry more and more about being blamed if things go wrong...another teacher i spoke to said if youve been doing yoga regularly for 2 years or more and you're not oberweight, then it's fine to carry on-not hot yoga though .
My antenatal yoga class is bit boring though, spent 15 minutes lying down breathing, relaxing but did'nt feel very stretched after, still waiting for video, lol at 'watching through first' bet I do!!

Well, got a big ball thingy...pumped it up...then collapsed !! thats enough for one day.

[mummyjx]

Hi, hope I can join in. I bought a pilates in pregnancy dvd (the woman with Cruellka De Ville hair - they are really expensive on ebay but were on offer for £5.99 in Boots the other week). I have done it once, but I only bought it two weeks ago and have been ill... I didn't actually feel like I'd done a lot but I am already overweight (apparently my BMI is too high also) and have had a year of sciatica and still have the limp to prove it, so was hoping to make improvements where I can and not get into a worse state. I also have an old Rosemary Conley VHS for ante & post-natal (I think I did that twice last time...)
I did one session of aqaunatal with DS2 but we live 25 minutes drive away from any classes and I get stressed out by driving. Also DH is never around to babysit (but I'm going to find a more suitable thread to vent my spleen about that). I plan to walk often around the village and go to the local forestry for longer walks at the weekend (to benefit DS1&2 also) but so far the weather has put me off, not to mention the 'flu.
I must get one of those balls, they sound fun...

[LupinsBigLump]

Aquanatal was fab felt really good on tuesday will defo be going again next week

[JellyBellyBump]

I was thinking about doing aquanatal classes, but my local swimming pool only does normal aqua aerobics. Does anybody know if it's ok to join these classes if you've not done them before. i'm 22 weeks

[sputnik]

Welcome mummyjx, sounds like you could do with the motivation as much as I could. There's always something isn't there, I've had my daughter ill at home all week and not really been able to do anything much. Sounds like you live in the coutry like me too, we have 1 gym locally and they want a minimum 15 months membership - no point for me as we'll probably be moving before then and anyway and I know I won't be able to go once the baby is born - not that they offer any ante-natal stuff anyway.... sigh.
Have to do everything myself and it's not always easy to find time/motivation. Go for it with the walking, got a link about that here sounds like walking is actually one of the best things you can do.

[mytwocents]

Sputnik, hope your little one is better soon, I too asked about normal aquarobics and was told no........teacher not qualified.
welcome mummjyx, been ill too lately but days getting longer soon.....trying to motivate myself now but dp has just appeared with a cake!!!! This is tough!

[sputnik]

Yeah, mine turned up with a giant toblerone the other day. I had to eat the bloody thing didn't I.

[bambi06]

maybe we can set up local groups if we live near to each othe to get us motivated..im getting excited too ..the thought of being fit fo the birth sounds good to me..as third time round im struggling..p.s anyone in se london..near crystal palace

[mytwocents]

by the way, I am STRAWBERRI.....had to change my name as on another thread was too many other strwaberry/s/i.....

[mummyjx]

Hi again. Went for a bit of "Nature Therapy" today, only a mile and a half at 3 year old pace in the local forestry, but feel SO MUCH BETTER for it. Can't wait for next weekend, hope the weather holds out (it has been glorious today, though we did get caught in a nasty hailstorm after the walk when I was trying to find an icecream shop for the boys - serves me right I suppose). Will try to walk more this week instead of hiding in the house. Feel a bit of a fraud being on the slimming world thread so will stay here until I start eating "properly" again (I will as soon as I have an appetite, honest) - DH brought home indian food from a function at work last night, I was asleep (fancy that, it being after midnight...won't go there tonight, unless he's late of course - is there a thread for "my DH loves his job more than he loves his family" or similar?) so we are having it tonight when the boys are asleep (they wouldn't appreciate it).