Exercise!

[Jellybaby13]

Hello!
I'm currently 11+6 weeks pregnant. Up until now all I've done is eat and sleep so I've obviously put on weight.

I've been doing my usual morning walk with the dogs (because I can't break this routine!) but I'm wondering if it's ok for me to start doing something like Zumba?

Before becoming pregnant I would do my zumba DVDs every now and again and go to the odd instructor led class but I haven't done anything since being pregnant - is this safe?

I was going to ask at my 12 week scan but I've found out this won't be happening until I'm 13+2 weeks pregnant and today I literally had to stuff myself in my largest pair of jeans haha! So I'm keen to put this energy to use before I need to buy bigger sizes!

Many thanks!

Yep just don't get too hot.

There tends not to be loads of jumping in Zumba so your joints should be ok

Absolutely fine. Just listen to your body, stop if it gets too much. I swam and did yoga throughout and walked a couple of miles at least. Nothing too stressful. The weight fell off in six weeks.

I’ve been going to spinning since about 13 weeks, I wear a heart rate monitor and slow down if I start to feel tired. Doing exercise had made me feel so much better!!

I think exercise is really good, I rode my horse up until.about 4.5 months pregnant and at 38 weeks still do all my stable jobs everyday, I think it's helped with overall health, with overall weight gain and also allowed me to keep sane! I still get an hour or so to myself everyday with fresh air, obviously you adapt and sometimes do things a little different or ask for help with certain tasks but overall it's just nice to do pre-pregnancy things.

I literally did 20 minutes of weighted legs the morning I went into labour 😂
And yoga every day, and workouts including hiit, jumping, cardio, and weights at least 4 times a week but usually 5/6 times and running when I found the time.
And like you, at least one dog walk for at least a mile everyday.
Got breathless, got hot, got sweaty

Didn't ever listen to the heart rate stuff or the breathless conversation advise.
Just listened to my body and took breaks when I needed to and cut it short on days I needed to, and drank lots. Definitely helped in labour!

I'd say go for it but ease yourself back in.

Have you done Zumba before or are you new to it?

I teach a similar class and it’s recommended not to try a new exercise like that when you are pregnant. I wouldn’t admit a pregnant newbie to my classes based on that and my insurance

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have done Zumba before, been doing it on and off for about 10 years now which is why I hoped I'd be able to pick it back up again.

My energy levels have started to sink again and I'm feeling nauseous with migraines so fingers crossed I can pick myself up again soon!! Xx

I disagree with some PPs. It doesn't sound like OP does Zumba with any regularity. I wouldn't take it up now.
Instead, once you feel over the first trimester exhaustion, walk more, try swimming and perhaps some pregnancy related classes eg yoga / pilates for pregnancy.
I did exercise in my pregnancies but I was a regular exerciser before. Also, don't focus on weight. Eat healthily, up your movement overall and enjoy your pregnancy 😘

Just remember that whatever you do, look after your pelvic floor. It so often gets forgotten about in pregnancy as we tend to focus on protecting the baby, but you’ve only got one and you need it for life! So I would avoid any activity which puts pressure on it (jumping, hiit, weights whilst standing), especially as you move into the later stages of pregnancy. Swimming is excellent in pregnancy.

I started a weekly boxercise class about 6 weeks before falling pregnant (as a very unfit person dong nothing other than dog walking) and at 12 weeks I have still been doing it weekly. I take it at my own pace and the instructors change certain exercises for me i.e. when people are doing burpees I do squats or something. I still get breathless and sweaty - although walking up stairs or to the garden at the minute makes me breathless had has done since about 7 weeks.

I done Zumba years ago and loved it. I would think if you went at your own pace and got them to change a few things for you in case something is too much in a routine but obviously not a professional opinion but you have done it before on and off and would know the basics anyway a chat with the person who takes the class wouldn't do any harm I guess.

I agree with earrings if you weren’t doing it regular I wouldn’t admit you to classes. Try someone low impact

My GP reckoned you were ok to do anything you'd done before pregnancy, but not to take up anything new.