To Gym or not to Gym?

[Everythinggettingbigger]

2nd post of the day

im currently 10+6....I enjoy exercise and I am usually quite active, I used to do pole dancing for exercise and LOVED it, but I understand its just not safe, (trying out new moves regularly ended up in a heap on the floor) so I have give that up for now , but I used to go to the gym quite a lot too, the past 5-6 weeks since ive found out I am pg I just haven't had the energy to go but I am finally coming out of it and want to get back!

is it safe? if so what should I avoid? what exercises do you recommend?

I am determined to have a much healthier pregnancy this time!

thanks in advance!

Definitely gym!

I would speak to one of the PTs/ Attendants though & ask them for a bit of help with a routine.

Quite often see pregnant ladies at the gym usually on bikes / doing weights.

I'm sure if you already did the exercise before you got pregnant you can continue on with it,

Can't be too careful though so would seek proper advice & tips.

I went gym at the start of my pregnancy & stupidly didn't keep it up,
I embraced my inner whale & will always regret that !

romeo I have just actually laughed out loud (in work ) at the "I embraced my inner whale" comment.....that pretty much sums up my first pregnancy....took me 4 years to loose the weight and I just don't want to end up in that situation again!

will speak to them when I arrive and let them know see if they can give me any advice. Think I will stick to the ladies only section though! thank you!

No ab works and apparently no to the exercise bikes in the second trimester? I continued to go regularly until I was 24 weeks and just stuck to the running machine and the step machine. It was boring as would have normally pushed myself more. Had to give up at 24 weeks due to having a high risk pregnancy. You can still do some.classes top but you'll need to check with the instructor first.

Basically it's a case of carry on as normal where possible as long as its stuff you were already doing and bear in mind that raising you heart rate too much may make you feel light headed.

good point Dixie I have been feeling rather dizzy lately and suspect it will only get worse as I get bigger....

I would be getting out for lots of walking if it wasn't for this hideous weather! im asthmatic too so the wind is just a no no for me!

Ive heard squats and lunges (ive got no balance at all at the minute so lunges out the question) will do wonders for your pelvic floor?

Yay for the gym! I go every lunchtime at work and I either swim, go on bike/cross-trainer or do some light weight training. Half an hour tops and I've been adapting it as I go (some of my stretches are a bit tricky now with the bump in the way). I also can't hammer the cardio machines like I used to before being pregnant. They are on a much lower setting!

I'm a great believer in exercise boosting your energy and mental wellbeing. I love it!

By the way I did nothing but sleep and work between weeks 5 - 12 of my pregnancy. You CAN get back into it, take it slow and see how you get on! (I'm assuming from your post that you have some level of existing gym/fitness already - obviously if you're starting from scratch - seek advice from midwife/doctor/PT!)

p.s. I'm 27 weeks and hope to keep exercising as long as possible during remainder of pregnancy.

I continued to go to the gym all the way through my 2nd pregnancy. unless you are under some doctors advice not to there is absolutely no reason why pregnant woman can't carry on going to the gym.

thanks clara, yes I was a very active person before, this first trimester has just wiped all my energy and with having a 5 year old to look after as well as working full time I have basically just been falling on to the couch after ds is in bed so been rather lazy! to be honest I would do some exercise from home but im stuck paying for the gym as my contract states I have to be a member for a year (only joined in Feb) so while im paying for it I might as well use it!

I'm 32 weeks and still going to the gym, can definitely recommend it. Did nothing during the first trimester due to sickness and tiredness, but then picked it up again once that had passed.

No high impact/aerobics exercise, no contact exercise, no core/abs work. Listen to your body. I am now only doing Bodypump classes, which are great, as you don't move around, and the weights exercises can be adjusted. However, be careful of starting something new that you haven't done before, that's usually not recommended... But again, it really depends on you. Speak to the staff (but make sure they know what they are talking about!). Everyone at my gym has been really supportive.

I'm a gym bunny and my midwife has told me I can do everything I normally do (including abs work) for as long as I feel I can do it - that my body will tell me when it's time to slow things down (or in the case of abs stuff, pack it in). There isn't really a magical second trimester cut-off for doing sit-ups etc., it's simply that most women start to find it uncomfortable at around that time and prefer to switch to more pg-friendly exercises. Don't go mad and end up breathless and sick-feeling as a result of exercise and you'll be fine. Try never to go beyond the point where you think you could still hold a conversation. I'm still running, spinning, doing weights, pilates, fitball and ab sessions (I'm not quite 10 weeks, so a bit behind you) - I just have to listen to my body and not push it the way I did before I was pregnant.

Exercise bikes are fine throughout pregnancy. We've had several pregnant ladies in the spin classes I attend continue on the bikes until they're about to drop.

Princess - your midwife sounds like a dream! I'm a dance teacher so I'll be full on, for as long as I can manage it. My MW said "you need to stop jumping and bouncing completely". I just gave her a withering look and assured her I'd use my common sense.

I am very lucky to go to a crossfit gym where instruction is a major part of what they do - and as such I get well instructed on what is safe and what isn't. Primarily, don't go looking to break any personal records and do not push it and that's fine.

Someone has already said no ab work - so no crunches or anything like that.

Breaking muscle has some pregnancy workout programs here which might be helpful: breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/hundreds-of-free-workouts-for-pregnant-and-postpartum-women

I do a couple of body combat classes a week and have continued since I found out I was pg a few weeks ago. However I mentioned it to my instructor this morning and she said it wasn't recommended in pregnancy due to the joints relaxing and more injury prone. She did say it was just a recommendation and she knew others who'd done it throughout pregnancy so I stayed for class today but really don't know what to do from here on in.

Gym is fine. Just don't get hot or push yourself too hard. My trainer during pregnancy scribbled 'MAINTENANCE!!" in big letters on my programme.

If you are able to keep your fitness ticking over for the new few months you will really benefit after the birth.

Fwiw I had 12 weeks off after each c-section and had lost very little fitness in that time.

If you have a good pole instructor there is no reason you cant carry on. I stopped pole at 30 weeks, with just an adjustment to the conditioning and class. I switched from intermediate to beginners, stopped inverting and stopped climbing. I stopped planking, cross knee/ankle releases at around 18 weeks when i could feel my abs weren't as strong

My spins are a million times better for having time to focus on them.

kaymondo, I did body combat and body attack until about 36 weeks and then stuck with body pump til 38 weeks, after which I switched to walking and pregnancy yoga. I've been doing the classes for years and knew the adjustments I needed to make for pregnancy. I am convinced that staying fit helped me have a very straightforward birth, and a bonus was that I only put on 10lb and lost the weight more or less immediately!

Some OPs have mentioned that ab/core work is out. I just wanted to point out that the NHS's own pregnancy exercise page doesn't back this up - in fact, they recommend some stomach-strengthening exercises.

I have been doing some gentle pilates to strengthen my core, as I am a bit concerned that otherwise I will have nothing to push with when it comes to labour!

I'm still doing planks as part of my strength workouts, also still running and swimming with my triathlon club - I'm 21+1 at the moment. All anyone has ever really said to me was not to add anything new and no deep twists or inversions in yoga. I gave up cycling at 14 weeks because I was finding it hard to get a comfortable position on my road bike and I felt a bit vulnerable outside.

I think what it is is that ab/core exercises that involve lying on your back, like crunches, are not recommended (can't remember the exact reason but I think it's something to do with blood pressure), but other exercises like planks are fine.

Ab work - some women find that baby presses on blood vessels and they get dizzy when lying on their backs. I never had this problem though myself.

Generally it is safe to continue whatever you were doing, (except contact sports), just don't go for any persona records at this time. And when people are saying that you shouln't start anything new, they mean more intensive sports, of course it's fine to start walking or special pregnancy classes.

Thanks everyone! some very useful information! I will not end up like a whale this time.....now if only I could find some energy to even get ready to do some exercise, never mind actually do it!