Exercise in First trimester and then later.

[figgygal]

Hi All

I was just wondering what options there were that are safe and whether anyone has continued on with classes such as aerobics or Zumba once they found out they were in the family way?

I am only 8 weeks so dont want to take chances but was doing classes a couple times a week and dont want to give them up really unless i need to.

Later in am not thinking yoga will be for me but we will see how bad my back gets (i get sciatica which i am anticipating will be nasty as hell with the extra weight).

Am just interested in what others have done to keep fit and keep the weight gain controlled.

Hi and congrats!

I know of people that have carried on with zumba all the way through! Your teacher should be able to offer you any modifications you need and advise to keep you safe.

Personally I've stopped til I hit 12 weeks - then I'm hoping to do pregnancy DVDs and maybe some swimming.

I am quite active with work running around after children!

Hope that helps!

I took a list of my hobbies and Zumba was considered completely okay by Dr as long as I was already used to it (instructor fine too and she is one of the toughest instructors). I am reassured by a 4/5 month pregnant woman in the class. I intend to keep up things like badminton and running but that was slightly optimistic given how hot and tired I am, they were deemed safe though, by the doctor, and I have a friend who ran up to 34 weeks.

The only things I was encouraged to give up are things where I might have an accident or something bashing me in the pelvic region (so mountain biking in my case) and the powerplate at the gym was veto-ed. I also know swimming is particularly good for you, given that you feel like your normal (pre-bump) weight floating about in water. Hope you find something, there are plenty of safe things to choose from.

I did bodybalance until the day before I went into labour - did consider going that day but decided the contractions were enough to be taken seriously so didn't to conserve energy!

Was there at least twice a week, if not 3 times, with various modifucations.

I swapped from step and bodycombat to an aqua-aerobics class but not an aquanatal one because it was too low intensity for me.

Was advised to stop running on a treadmill at 20 weeks but cycling was theoretically fine until the end, although I stopped going to spin class.

The only thing I'd recommend is if you're exercising over the summer when it's hot is get a heart rate monitor and take note of it - the only times I've felt unwell after exercising were the times I forgot mine and pushed too hard. Plus drink lots!

I went to the gym until 14 weeks and did everything except abdo exercises just at a lower intensity. I started to get too much pressure on my pelvic floor while running, so switched to aqua aerobics after that.

if you've always been physically active/done a class your fine. There are a few things like you've said that are not advised like powerplate/crunches/anything in a prone position in the 3rd trimester. Any half decent instructor in a class situation should be give you alternatives/adaptations so you can work to your own particular level

pre-pregnancy i was swimming high intensity; first trimester i was finding trying to keep up the same speed/duration/frequency was making me even more exhausted so took it a lot more gently.

trimester 2 and my muscle strength and joints feel different - now im swimming fairly gently in comparison to my old routine but 3 or 4 times a week for 30 mins to an hour depending how i feel. im finding i just dont have the stamina to swim fast/run etc so am doing what i can manage in the pool but also going for long walks. with the swimming im normally someone who whizzes up and down and is in training for something or other. what im finding now is that the best way of beating the frustration of joining the 'breastroke mafia' is to look at it in a different way, as something thats meant to be gentle, but then every so often i will give myself 5 mins of pushing myself really hard.

to my surprise am finding pregnancy yoga a godsend. having previously not got on with yoga ('malco' i believe is the politically incorrect term!) im surprised by how amazing it is and kind of think years of sporting injuries could have been prevented and relieved by these types of stretches. i wouldnt call it exercise to be honest, more something to unwind you mentally and stretch out your muscles. im extremely glad i have given it a go and would recommend to anyone.

Hi, I ran a half marathon at 9 weeks and developed sciatica and went to pregnancy yoga from 16 weeks until 39 (only stopped then because there was no class over the easter weekend) and found it really beneficial at helping me to manage both that and other lower back pain. My teacher was excellent as she made a point of talking to everyone each week about what kind of problems they were having and making sure that those who needed it were shown appropriate adaptations and incorporating postures that would help ease our various complaints.

I agree with Ilovekittyelise in that it's not particularly an intense workout if you're used to high impact aerobic classes but that doesn't mean it's without physical benefit and sometimes quite challenging.

So in short don't let sciatica put you off yoga!

Ran a 10k race at 26 weeks (although certainly wasn't racing- 1hr 1 mins so v slow!) Stopped running at that point and did uphill walking on treadmill. Also modified weights, plus Pilates in Pregnancy DVD and aquanatal. Was in gym on due date, and back there 3 weeks post delivery. I think the pilates pre znd post delivery, plus lots of walking with pushchair really helped the weight drop off.

I kept going to the gym until 31 weeks, doing Bodypump and Pilates, started pregnancy yoga in parallel at about 24 weeks. Still doing the yoga, otherwise I try to keep busy around the house and garden - although I have to admit that painting skirting boards at being 9 months pregnant is not the most comfortable thing to do.

You can continue what you've been used to doing as long as you feel comfortable doing it, listen to your body and don't feel guilty about lowering the intensity of your workouts! As long as you do something! I found it hard to stop, but had to admit to myself that it just was all getting a bit much/too hard (even my Bodypump instructor had to gently talk to me about it being time to take it more easy!). Now I feel that carrying all that extra weight is as good a workout as any...

Ran til 3 weeks before both of mine including doing races until 26 weeks (at very reduced speed!) Was backout running 5 weeks after both times too.

I tried to keep going with most things as long as my body would let me. With DC1 it was easy because I could rest at other times during the day. DC2 and 3 are harder because I just can't get enough rest. I did find the hardest time was the first trimester when I was just so exhausted. It is easy to get out of the habit but it is worth getting back to things as soon as you can.

Listen to your body and cut down at least the intensity as time goes on. Make sure you have a water bottle with you so you can keep hydrated as well. I agree with ilovekittyelise about pregnancy yoga - not great exercise but good for mental preparation. Also if you are doing pregnancy aquafit, different classes have different ways of doing it. One class I went to was great exercise, normal aquafit just with bumps but another class was yoga in the water, very relaxing but not really exercise. It's worth finding the class that suits you. With DC1 I did the exercise type one, with DC2 the yoga one was perfect!

I do think that being physically fit helped me during labour. I saw it as another physical challenge and that helped me cope with the pain. (Disclaimer: I do not mean that if you are physically fit, labour will be easy and straightforward. I mean that I believe it helped me mentally prepare for it.)

I'm 26 weeks and still go gym/ swim. Just take it easier, frustrating but worth it. I worked out till my due date with dd1

I've kept going as much as I can - just stepped down the intensity as my body started complaining. My focus is being on strong for the birth, rather than keeping the weight down, although I'm hoping it will make it easier to shift post-birth.

Zumba sounds immense fun and I've enjoyed Body Jam and other "dancing" type workouts. The first thing I packed in was spin (never really liked it anyway), then running when the bouncing jiggle on my bladder got too much at 16wks, but I kept going with the fun things like Body Combat (gradually lowered intensity) & Body pump (didn't push the weights) up to 28wks. Have a quiet word at the gym, see if someone is qualified in pre-natal fitness who can help you set a programme, eg as well as staying off my back/alternatives to crunches, I was advised to have a lucozade type drink with me as well as some water. I'm now still swimming a couple of times a week at 36wks and try to make sure I do push a little, but not too hard, or for too long: actually the sensation of being weightless and moving at some speed is very pleasing now I've had to slow everything down and lumber about on dry land. Also, Erin O'Brien's pregnancy fitness DVD is a pleasing workout.

a lot of advice is to take it easy in the first trimester and not even do yoga, since obviously this is the most crucial time period when miscarriage might occur.

I personally find it very difficult to give up exercise entirely, and have continued jogging, yoga, etc., just taking things down a notch, though I've had three miscarriages before. (two with some exercise in that time, one with absolutely no exercise, I very much doubt it was any sort of factor)

with my one successful pregnancy, I stopped jogging until around 10 or 11 weeks, then did gentle three mile runs until 30 weeks. i think i should have stopped a bit sooner though, as I ended up getting SPD in the final weeks of pregnancy. I also did prenatal yoga tapes which are nice for a stretch but scarcely a workout, as others said!

Thanks ladies I am going to get back to zumba this week after a 2 week break and just bring down the mad leaping about I usially do. I am quite lightheaded these days so hopefully will stay on my feet ha ha then will look at swimming again more long term

Exercise will not cause a miscarriage (how could that ever be a proven link), however it is not advisable to take up a new, strenuous exercise when pregnant. You are not ill, but you do need to be sensible and take account of the fact that hormonal changes make sprained muscles more likely. Please continue to be active as you feel you want to be, it will stand you in very good stead for labour and beyond.

i just checked back into this thread; so impressed by some of your pregnancy exercise achievements wow, well done all you who run with bumps i can hardly walk without falling over!

Hi I'm also around 8 weeks and had been doing zumba twice a week amongst other classes.
My instructor says it's fine - absolutely no jumping or twisting and go easy on the squats.

Hi, I'm 11 weeks and am carrying on with Zumba, my instructor knows and is happy. Just need to be careful in the first trimester not to overheat. Also watch your joints as everything's more flexible so it's east to overextend.

With my first I exercised until three days before she was born. The exercise slowed down and I was on a much lower level on the cross trainer but I'm sure that's why my labour was relatively easy and very active.

actually there was some Danish research in 2007 suggesting there is a link. As always, you have to take such research with a pinch of salt, particularly as it was based on women's recall.

from BBC report at the time:

Compared with those who did no exercise at all, women who played "high-impact" sports or who exercised for more than seven hours a week were approximately three-and-a-half times more likely to miscarry.

Miscarriage is far rarer later in pregnancy, and after the 18-week mark, the link between exercise and miscarriage disappeared.

The study was carried out at the University of Southern Denmark, who quizzed more than 90,000 women on their exercise regime, then linked the answers to the outcome of their pregnancies.