Has anyone else carried on running or other exercise regime when pregnant - and how long for?

[Philoslothy]

I run every other day am am about 24 weeks, DH is very cautious - we lost our most recent pregnancy - he thinks I should stop running.

I gave up horseriding as soon as I found out I was pregnant and reduced my gym time.

I am still cycling to work - which DH is also worried about. I also swim every day, but much less than I used to.

Should I give up the running and cycling?

The advice now is 'do what you did before' - there are plenty of women who run well into the third trimester and cycling is a matter of weighing up risk.

You take far more risks with yours and the baby's health by sitting around doing nothing she says sitting around doing nothing and eating Haagen Dazs

Maybe ask at your next midwife appointment?

I am a regular exerciser and continued in both pregnancies upto about 34 weeks -I just gradually lowered the impact until I was doing no high impact at all towards the end.

My friend is a Body Attack and Body Pump instructor and is currently 6months pregnant and still teaching

I think the guidance is that it is ok to continue what you have done but listen to your body!

There is a pregnant runners thread, saw oit today.

I didnt run when preg but did swim and cycle, did both right up til baby was born.

Running is fine, you may find you want to slow down as you get bigger.

Any exercise you have done before pregnancy is generally fine.

If you lost a previous preg due to early labpur/weakened cervix then I think the advice would be to take things easy but generally if you are fit and well its fine to continue exercising.

Two different midwives have told me different things, perhaps the one who said she would not run was worried about our recent miscarriage.

This is my fifth pregnancy and I swam every day for all of the others until my due date. I think she was worried because running is high impact.

Found the runners thread thanks.

I gave up running. I get overheated so easily and my heartrate goes sky high. I'm fairly fit and no other exercise has the same effect on me, so I thought it best to quit. I kept gymming through my last pregnancy. I miscarried, but that had nothing to do with the exercise. I've recently got another BFP and will be gymming/swimming again this time. I say "will be" because I got my BFP just before the Xmas hols - my gym is next to my office and I haven't been at work since.

I've been doing classes for years and still do body pump twice a week, body attack and body combat once a week and I've taken up pregnancy yoga too. The only thing I've given up is spinning because I've had coccyx pain since 7 weeks. I'm 33 weeks and plan to keep going with it all as long as I can!

I am 36 weeks and go to the gym four of five times a week, either using the elliptical or the bike for thirty minutes for cardio, lifting medium weights and doing various balance exercises with a bosu ball.

I am usually a runner, and did a little running up to 34 weeks, but running in pregnancy never feels good to me, because of the pressure it places on my bladder.

I was doing zumba up until 34 weeks. I only stopped because I couldnt stop yawning by the end of the hour.

I gave up cycling and skiing though on advice. It was to do with balance rather than exercise. Your centre of gravity changes as you get bigger and apparently makes you more liable to fall over. Of course the Dutch cycle right up to the end. I think if I'd had a sit up and beg Dutch bike I might have gone on longer but by 24 weeks it was just getting too uncomfortable on my hybrid.

I ran up to about 30 weeks with my first pregnancy & did a class similar to body pump right up until the day I went into labour. The instructor & I adapted exercises so I followed best practice for pregnant women. I stopped cycling straight away as we lived somewhere congested & I didn't want the risk of being knocked off my bike & losing the baby. I had to walk our dog (2 x45 mins per day) throughout the pregnancy too. I tried running again when my dd was a month, felt as if my insides were going to fall out & then had to walk home. I started running again properly when she was 6 weeks. I had a baby jogger & ran in races with her before she was 1. I was very careful when I was pg to make sure I didn't overheat. Dd1 was 8lbs 4 & I gained 25lbs.

I'd keep going until your body tells you to stop. I replaced running / gym with gentle swimming at about 28 weeks last time because I got so, so hot I felt faint.

I carried on as before (spin, gym, swimming etc). Only thing I stopped was kettle bells. I am having a CS delivery today at 39+5 and I was at the gym on Sunday.

I've carried on doing weights and using a suspension trainer although you're not meant to exercise lying on your back from the second trimester as it decreases blood flow to the uterus.

I was glad when I was able to stop cycling when my work changed - the exercise was fine but I live in London and cars tend to like bumping you. Not the safest feeling when you're preggers!

Also need to keep an eye on your heart rate - if you're in your 30's don't go over 140bpm (bit more if you're younger I think). I work on maintenance rather than getting stronger / improving figure at the moment.

That is good advice about heart rate, I am in my early 40s

Sorry, should have put over 30's rather than in your 30's - same bpm not to go over I think. You can get a HR monitor to wear when exercising where you wear a strap, not too expensive. I guess if you're a seasoned exerciser you know when you're pushing yourself too much anyway.

I think it depends on the individual, i used to go to the gym every day but once pregnant I had no energy what so ever so walking us currently my only exercise.

It's very much dependent on how you progress. I have up power plates immediately, high intensity training caused me problems with heat and sickness so that stopped at around 8 weeks, but I ran until SPD (literally) stopped me in my tracks at 20 weeks. Been brisk walking since. Tried swimming but I find it mind numbing and hard to fit in around DD1, work etc.!

Currently overdue and can't wait to get back to a decent routine.

Why shouldn't you get your HR above 140? What's the risk - what's going to happen? Stillbirth? Miscarriage? Defects? Premature labour? Pissing off the baby? What? This has frustrated me all through pregnancy - advice that seems to have no science behind it (not having a go at the poster who said this btw - the 140 bpm thing seems to be a common thing to say but I think it's really old advice. And there's plenty more unsubstantiated do's and don'ts out there).

OP - do what feels comfortable and what makes you feel energised and good. There's loads of preggos who run throughout. You'll know when you cut back/ stop because it'll get harder.
FWIW I walk up hills and around fields 5 days on average for about 50 mins. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard. I'm 32 weeks and my body's been having trouble on and off since about your stage. Pregnancy is hard!

I worked out with a trainer until 36 weeks and just listened to my body at about how hard to work. I'm so glad I did as my labour was hard work with 3 hours of pushing which I think being reasonably fit helped with.

Re heart rate - non taken .From what I've read and been told, keeping your heart rate lower than normal can be to do with dizziness and feeling faint, not something you want to happen when holding weights near your feet! I think another poster had said they had issues with dizziness when exercising and I know when I overdo it I tend to overheat and get a headache, which I wouldn't normally.

But you're right though, I'm sure (along with a lot of other things) this is probably quite outdated and it completely depends on your level of fitness, health etc. It's probably an over cautious figure, maybe for a reason, but for those that know their capabilities it's probably a figure to take with a pinch of salt.