Should I stop exercising?

[JRmumma]

Im currently 32+3wks pregnant with first baby. Ive always taken regular exercise and continued throughout my pregnancy so far.

Before falling pregnant i was doing 1 body attack, 1 body combat and 2 body pump classes every week. When i found out i was expecting i changed attack and combat to 2 sh'bam classes per week as they are much lower impact, kept on with pump classes, but told my instructors straight away of my condition and they have been really good advising me of what to do/not to do as ive gone along. Also, in the past 8 weeks ive gradually reduced my weights and exertion levels and only now do one class of each per week.

Anyway, last night I found I had to leave my pump class about 2 thirds of the way through as i was very hot and felt a bit light headed. Im just wondering if others have found a point in their pregnancy when they just cant manage structured exercise anymore and had to stop? Shall I call it a day now or go again next week and see how I get on, then decide?

I want to continue exercising through my pregnancy as long as possible as I believe it has many benefits for me in terms of keeping me in good shape for labour/coping with the physical demands of caring for an infant etc, but don't want to push it to a point where im putting myself or the baby at any risk. I know i can do something else such as swim or just going for regular walks, I finish work for MAT leave tomorrow so I imagine that that is the way to go now?

Grateful to anyone who has found themselves in the same situation and can share their experience/advice.

It's my due date today and it's the first day I have missed the gym throughout pregnancy, due to awful cramps. I was running 5k every other day and doing weights and machines on the other days, then half way through the pregnancy switched running to the cross trainer. Have felt great all the way up till today and haven't piled on any weight so am really glad I kept it up. Personally I felt the cross trainer was great, very low impact on the joints so would recommend. Going to the gym also kept me sane during mat leave, which I have found pretty dull to be honest!

Thanks Msgilbert. Nice to know im not the only person who thinks its OK to exercise at a more than minimal level during pregnancy! Had this chat with a few people last night after the gym and those who dont take regular exercise seem to think that anything over and above a nice relaxing swim 'to take the weight off' is insane.

Im not a great swimmer and so dont really want to rely on that, and also dont want to start anything new at this stage so not sure whether the cross trainer would be a good idea for me. My sensible head says to continue with Sh'bam until that feels like its too much, but drop body pump and not risk it again. But i LOVE pump and know it keeps me in shape the best. I think I just need someone to tell me its OK and not worry about the fact that if i stop this soon, ill miss about 3 months of classes as a minimum.

JR I'm doing pump at 33 weeks + pregnant.

BUT I only started when I was pregnant - so have been pretty conservative on the weights (warm up 2.5kg each end, squats 5kg each end, back (2.5+1.25) each end and everything else 2.5kg each end) - have you considered cutting back your weights?

Don't be afraid/ embarassed to work within your limits (also don't be too bloody minded about completing the whole track).

I Don't do crunches I do leg lowers or go on all fours and do pelvic tilts/ supermans. If you are tired use the ab track to sit/lie down and do pelvic floors.

I put the head end of my bench up one step raiser higher than the foot end.

I only use 1.5kg hand weights for shoulder track - and sometimes keep these lighter weights instead of switching back to bar.

I also don't jump or lunge - just squats ( i had pelvis issues last pregnancy).

If there is an air con vent try and bagsy a position under it! Pause a beat or two in a track if you need to.

Do what you did and finish up if you need to - i don't think it means you can't go back.

I'm 31 weeks now and I've been using the gym most weekday mornings for some running (switched to cross traininer at 20 odd weeks), weights and core exercise. I've also only really gained "bump weight" and while I know everyone has different fitness and experience of pregnancy, I feel exercising has been really good for me. I did have a few times when I just had to stop though. Generally i think they were linked to bad sleep or growth spurts. I'd feel uncomfortable, breathless or even a but sore. I just took it day by day and found that some days are better than others. I'm going to try to keep going, in some capacity, to the bitter end but of course I'll stop if it consistently makes me feel unwell.

Thanks Guys.

woodifer - yep im using only light weights now and no weights for lunges (ive currently got enough of my own extra weight for those!), but i guess I could lower the weight a bit more to be safe. I havent done anything on the abs track for a while, i just stretch and go. Had my step tilted since 12 weeks. I think you are right, just because i cant do it all, doesnt mean i shouldnt do any of it. I just feel a bit defeated by not finishing the class. Think ill also have a chat with my instructor who taught pump through 2 pregnancies and see what she thinks. didnt get the chance last night as the calss was still going on and i had to get outside in the cool air!

travelhappy - thanks for your post. I think you've just said what ive been trying to work out in my head. Just because i felt a bit iffy this week, doesnt mean i will next week, especially since ill be on mat leave so have had more rest. Ive felt good exercising up until this point and like yourself would like to go on in some capacity until the end. I think im in pretty good shape for 32wks and im sure that exercising helps me sleep better and keep up the strength to carry the bump about without any aches and pains etc.

Think ill go again next week and see how i feel. If im not happy with it then ill admit defeat and get my swimming cozzie on instead!

Was going to say something similar to Travel
I've been cycling and swimming throughout my pregnancy (am 31 weeks now), but by that I mean swim-training with a club and pulling a bike trailer with 2 kids in (ie not just doing the odd length here and there....)

There have been some sessions where I feel like I'm on top of the world, and I am swimming nearly as fast as I was pre-pregnancy. But sometimes, I have a day when I feel tired and awful.

I never really know where the bad days come from, but I just accept them, do what I can do, stop if I have to, and try again next time.

I posted on another thread earlier this year, as I wasn't sure how/when/if I'd know if I was doing too much. But it all seems to be going okay, as long as I really listen to my body.

I've decided that I'm not someone who usually wimps out of stuff, so if I feel like I want to stop, for whatever reason, I should just slow down that day....

Does that make sense?

yep crikee it does make sense. I dont want to stop as i feel like that would be wimping out too. I still feel physically able enough to do it, but im the sort of person who thinks 'im pregnant, not ill' and tries to carry on as normal at a time when my body might not actually be as up to it as it was 7 months ago. Im a bit confused about whetehr stopping last night was me listening to my body, or whether i should have stopped sooner before I got too hot and a bit dizzy?

Hmmm... yep. I see.
See how it goes next time?

I find with the swimming now that I go as fast as I can, but I miss out the odd length (probably every 10 mins or so), so that I rest more. So I complete the whole hour, but with more rest during the session than I would've previously taken.

I'm not quite sure what would happen if I didn't do that. It's just what I feel I need to do.

I think you don't want to get too hot. That is a definite. And I know, for example, that I can't swim on my back for too long without getting dizzy now, so I avoid doing more than a length of that.

The hardest thing is to adopt a more cautious approach, if you're used to thinking "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" etc ;-) But maybe you have to, now?

I'm rambling again! What I'm saying is: maybe aim to complete the session, but be prepared to rest more often during it? And try not to feel embarrassed or annoyed with yourself when/if you do this! :-)

I kept going to my normal classes till 29 Weeks...bit I got to hot, felt faint and then got terrible stomach pain and that was when I called it a day. I tally scared myself that I had overdone it and my dh insisted I stay away when I thought about going back a few days later. I've been waddling lots and find aqua aerobics instead and tbh with the size I am now it wad probably time to stop...32 Weeks and measuring 40 because of excess fluid in sack.

I played my last round of golf 1st week of December & DS was born end of February. It was getting tricky to swing with the bump, I was getting short of breath (lots of fast walking in golf believe it or not) & I needed to wee more often. I carried on walking a lot though. I'd say just listen to your body & do what you are comfortable with.

Totally agree that you have to listen to your body. In my first pg I carried on quite intensive Karate training until 35 weeks, then suddenly went very hot and dizzy in one session and decided 'okay that's it'.

After that stuck to walking and swimming.

im 36w today and unable to walk far due to pgp. reluctantly gave up running at about 26 weeks - was v obviously time.to stop-and pump not long after. lack of exercise driving menuts esp.as my friend was running without any problems until 2 days before having her baby!! can still cycle a bit too but feel very self conscious cycling on busy south manchester roads.at this stage. I expect to be down to.swimmimg only soon, which is fine but boy am I.knackered afterwards!

Thanks everyone for your input. Going to try again next week and see how i feel.

Ive also decided to try and get something done about what everyone at my gym has been complaining about for a year now - that the air con is either just not up to scratch, or (what we suspect) that they turn it off on purpose to save money. On Weds it was 26 degrees in the studio before we even started and that probably contributed to making me feel a bit ill.