Should I cancel gym membership?

[Passthehobnobs]

I am nearly 15 weeks and I've not been near the gym for about 7 weeks.

I was quite a gym bunny before but due to time/work/tiredness I've been mainly doing some Davina McCall DVDs at home for toning.

Just back from 10 days holiday and feel I should be exercising but not sure what to do as I get tired very easily and I'm anxious not to harm my little one!

I'm wondering if my £40 a month gym membership a waste of money. Is everyone else still going to the gym?

I've actually joined since getting pregnant, but primarily to use the pool, not the gym itself.

Do they have a pool? If they do then I would swim as it's great pregnancy exercise, if not then I woudl ask if you can have a reduce rate/not pay until after the birth.

Yeah, my gym has a nice pool but I'm not that fussed on swimming - especially now I can't use the sauna!

Sorry for whinging...this is not a major problem in the grand scheme of things, just don't want to feel like a sack of spuds!

Does your gym do any pregnancy-specific classes? I actually joined one after I got pregnant - I use it for swimming and pregnancy yoga and Pilates classes, and I'm definitely getting my money's worth - most weeks I'm there three or four times.

Thanks for the posts. I think I'm still adjusting to actually being pregnant and not expecting my body to do the same things it did before. I'm just going to have to enjoy swimming a bit more, especially when the bump gets bigger.

You're not whinging, it's a hell of a lot of money to pay for something you can't use.
It's more after 20+ weeks that swimming becomes so nice as you can float and it takes all the belly weight off for a bit. WhenI was PG with dd1 I used to swim twice a week, which was a tenner a week, so £40 sounds about right.
Also bear in mind if you cancel you might want to start again after the baby is born (not too soon though)
I woudl ask then about a reduced rate jujst for pool use!

I found my gym membership invaluable in my 2nd tri (when I'd stopped puking and started feeling human again).

I've been a lazy cow recently so have completely wasted the last months membership (£86 - ouch!) even though I should get myself into into the pool (and hope that greenpeace doesn't come and try and save me!) because I know it would make me feel a million times better.

Kept mine going, just for using then pool. It is lovely once you are quite big, as the water holds your weight. Cancelled after baby came, as I was doing so much walking the weight fell off.
Wish it had so easily the second time round though

Swimming is great when pregnant - takes the weight off and if you're careful (don't do breastr-stroke legs or tread water!) it can be good for preventing/managing SPD too.

You should be able to carry on with any exercise you are used to doing (within reason) so no reason to cancel. I find that exercise actually helps with tiredness too.

I am still going to the gym most days but I was a total gym bunny before getting pregnant. I am still using the cross-trainer and bike plus lifting light weights. I also use the pool as well.

I don't think there is any reason to cancel. I think exercise has helped me feel pretty good throughout the pregnancy and kept my energy up plus meant I haven't stacked on the weight. Most nights after work I could very easily go home and collapse on the couch but I soldier on to the gym, do my work-out and then feel 100 times better after.

Maybe you should ease back into it and see how you feel? Just do some light workouts and see if it helps.

I'm 31 weeks and still going, but just to Yoga and Pilates. The instructors are very good and just give me ways of adapting some of the positions I can't do.

You should be able to continue doing anything you were doing before being pg. With DS, I kept running (jogging) on treadmill until about 30 weeks and then slowed down to uphill walking until the end to keep getting cardio exercise. Running is also supposed to be really good for growing a healthy placenta. Also kept doing weights until the end, plus prenatal yoga and pilates. Was at the gym the morning before my waters broke (DS born the next day!). With this pg am still trying to go to gym twice weekly (still running) but much harder to find the time with a toddler and full-time job!

My gym made up new training routine, suitable for pregnancy for me. To my surprise it's quite similar to the old one, though with an emphasis on lower weights/higher repetitions etc.
The trainer who did it specialises in pregnant women and assured me that I should be able to continue with it up to the birth more or less.

Given that I spent the first 4 months unable to do anything with morning sickness and tiredness etc it's really nice to start moving again.

I also do pregnancy pilates and swim occasionally, will probably do more of that over the next few weeks.

The gym also offer mother and baby classes where aerobics/circuit type exercises are offered to get back in to shape after pregnancy (only after the first 8-10 weeks after birth), and I can change my membership to an "inactive" designation for a few months when I can't use it (the first 8-weeks after birth basically) without having to pay the joining fee again, so it might be worth checking to see if these are options for you.

I do however live in Scandinavia, where everyone is fitness obsessed, the gym market is definitely over supplied, women seem to put hardly any weight on during pregnancy and lose it all straight after and where people in general are a lot more relaxed about pregnancy than in the UK (much less is "forbidden here and flyin gis not a problem at all until 36 weeks for example...)

Keep going if you feel up to it - I kept gyming/exercising for both pregnancies until around 8 months. You will need to dial it down/change exercises as you get bigger but can still exercise if you want to.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I went for a swim this morning and am determined to keep up with you guys!

Hi Guys,

Great to hear that you all are so keen on keeping fit during pregnancy! I work for a fitness company called Fitness4Mum, it's one of the leading brands in pre and posnatal exercise in the UK and offers a range of information and services. One of the services we offer are exercise classes! Although swimming is great it still remains important to do strength exercises to help manage the changes that happen to your body when you are pregnant, whilst also keeping you toned! Take a look at the site, there's a lot of information on there that you may find beneficial and if you are local to the classe then why not give them a try - you get your first one free!

The site is www.fitness4mum.com

£40 a month is a lot you are right to question but I have started a gym this week - now 17 weeks. I am booked in with a personal trainer who specialises in pre and post natal excercises. They have already told me the excercises will mostly be walking, and low impact stuff also using the balancing ball- similar to birthing balls for core excercises.
Pilates and YOga and also aqua aerobics and good old swimming.

As above says it is better for you and baby to try to keep fit. Also labour is like running a marathon so the fitter and better shape you are in the chances of you having an easier labour and bouncing back quickly are better- although lots of things can happen I think it is best to try and stack the odds in my favour

Thanks for the link @Moo I'll have a look too