Exercising in Pregnancy

[Msd2416]

Hi Ladies,

I recently got my BFP and have been running the last few months nothing mega just like 2/3 5kms a week but wanted to keep this up. Just wondering if anyone else has exercised through pregnancy? xx

Hi, congratulations on your pregnancy!
yes, it's fine to keep exercising. I was doing a lot of hill walking, occassional running and swimming when I got my BFP. I tried to keep it up but felt too sick during the 1st trimester and only managed to take some gentle walks. After week 11 I felt better, which coincided with pools reopening and I've been swimming 30 min, 3x a week. It's very good to keep it up and I think has helped me have fewer symptoms.
Good luck x

@WolfMother326 oh thats amazing to hear! Glad to hear you're feeling better.

I havent had any symptoms yet so just going to carry on i guess xxx

Congratulations! It’s absolutely fine to keep exercising in pregnancy!
In terms of running, they tell you to take care not to overheat in the first trimester... so drink plenty, don’t work too hard etc.
This isn’t a time for PBS and races - pace should generally be fairly easy. But it’s a great way to get out and keep fit.
I’m 26 weeks and still running. I’m down to running 3-4 miles 2-3 times a week now... but my body is great at telling me when to slow down. I’m mainly run/walking now, but it’s good to get out still 😊
Plus, running with a bump means you get lots of people saying well done as you huff past 🤣🤣

Absolutely, carry on as long as you feel well. I could barely run first trimester as I was too ill and exhausted. Second trimester much better so took up running again, although I always needed to pee. Stopped at 30 weeks as I was getting some back and pelvic pain. Switched to walking and occasional pregnancy hiit workouts.

Listen to your body and you'll be fine. I found the exercise throughout pregnancy gave me confidence and helped recovery after birth.

It's perfectly safe to continue what you were doing pre-pregnancy but just ensure the intensity is not too high. Use the breathlessness test, you should be able to hold a conversation during and after exercise. Listen to your body, any niggles either scale things back or take breaks.

I'm still powerlifting at 60-80% of what I could do pre-pregnancy and no intentions of stopping soon, I'm over 29wk now.

wow, I'm so inspired by you all @SillyBry @Skyla01 @Chelyanne. I'm still swimming 3-4x a week at 30 weeks and that feels fine, but the running is off the cards and even walking is kind of hurting my low back these days. Hoping to keep the swims up until I deliver.

I was so worried in the first trimester and saw you shouldn’t overheat so I barely moved just in case 🙈😂 running is usually my thing but I thought the pelvic floor situation might not be helped by running so in the second and third trimesters I’ve done the online RWL workouts instead, just to try and keep my legs and arms toned. You can select your trimester and it gives you workouts to choose from. In the third trimester now I don’t do any of the jumping jacks or anything, they say they’re safe to do but I just avoid any jumping and try to do mainly weights or resistance bands workouts

It's absolutely fine to continue with your usual routine. I'm 31 weeks and still running 5km 3 times a week! Just listen to your body and stop if/when it tells you you need to. In terms of intensity, you should be able to speak comfortably whilst exercising ie don't push yourself so you're very out of breath. I stopped running up hills around 16 weeks for this reason. You will get slower as the weeks go on so it's not the time for trying to set PBs! I've actually really enjoyed running during pregnancy - having to take it a bit steadier and just doing what I feel like doing has been really enjoyable! Wishing you a healthy pregnancy 😀

@WolfMother326 That's very kind... I didn't feel very inspirational whilst huffing my way around 4 miles in the sweltering sun this morning!!
I find it quite hard work - and every time I push myself too hard I pay for it in my hips the next day, so I'm fast learning that keeping it easy is much more sensible!!
I'm 27 weeks and I gave up at 29 weeks in my first pregnancy. We shall see how much longer I have left in me. I got a stinking cold and a bad back last time, which knocked me out for 10 days and then it was just too late to get back into it!

I had to stop running by 3rd trimester both times, as the up-down bouncing of the bump was not comfortable. But lifted weights until birth. Most exercise is fine to continue with, and has benefits for both you and the baby.

@WolfMother326 keep it us as long as you can. Walking is not my favourite either now but we have a dog so needs must, I only run if I need to lol.
I didn't do any dedicated exercise in my previous pregnancies and my body was in bits after my huge twin pregnancy. The gym has helped me rebuild it and get my daily pain from osteoarthritis in check so I need it. I've had spd in all pregnancies after the 1st but I refuse to let it stop me (this is baby 6). My hips have felt terrible over the weekend but I'm in to do squats against all the spd advice I could find online, thing is it atually makes them feel better. Been mentally hard to see my numbers drop after years of dedicated training but I will get back up to those PB's next year. Not looking forward to the down time after birth, most I've had off since starting is 3 weeks after foot surgery. Looking at 6-12 weeks depending on if I go vbac or elcs.

Up not us

I did. Midwife told me that I could keep doing what I was already doing, at that level, but not to try to go faster/longer etc. I had some enforced breaks from some forms of exercise owing to lockdowns (and also ended up swimming in the sea rather than a pool for part of it for the same reason), but overall I kept exercising fairly normally. I had an easy pregnancy and went to the gym and swimming pool the week before I gave birth. I ended up with a C-section and I'm sure having kept active helped with my recovery.

I’m only 19 weeks but have been exercising throughout. I’m not running as far or as fast, but still running a couple of times a week. Still doing strength training 3-4 times a week, but slightly lower weights. Also still doing HIIT but a bit slower and making sure my heart rate doesn’t get too high. I love exercising and feel so much better when I do it.

@Chelyanne you’re amazing! 😁😁
And I know the feeling with the hips and SPD. I can handle the pain running because it’s not awful. But it’s later in the day and the next day if I push too hard. I’m walking like an old lady!! 🤣🤣

But I know it will make me physically and mentally stronger for labour... and I feel so much better mentally after going out!

And likewise, it can be really depressing seeing yourself get “worse”, but just think how amazing we’re doing really! I was marathon training pre-pregnancy, so was running 16 miles at the weekends and doing 5-6 mile “easy runs”, without even thinking about it.
Now, 4 miles is a massive effort and 2 mins a mile slower than my old “easy” pace. But I try not to think about that too much 🤣

@SillyBry Oh yeah. Those of us not letting it stop us completely will be rewarded for it later.
I'm slower walking the dog but she is too with the heat atm (has a thick coat). I get part way and want to sit down but resist the urge as I know I'm better off getting it done then having a rewarding sit down after. I used to be able to do a heavy lifting session and walk the dog straight after, seems crazy to me now!

Hi OP

I'm not sure if it counts, as your kind of exercise is much more rigorous, but I walked minimum 8K steps everyday of my pregnancy right until the end and I firmly believed it helped me with my labour and after.

As for running itself, I've heard it's fine to do but I'm no expert and not even a runner!

I'm 23 weeks and have kept exercising, a mixture of swimming and fitness classes. I think it's definitely helped me feel better and there are lots of studies that show staying active means you're more likely to have a good labour

I’m 23 weeks now and still running a few times a week and walking the dog everyday.

I think once running gets too difficult I’ll cycle alongside my running pals instead. They’ve been very kind doing shorter runs with me so I’m sure they’ll be happy to get back to longer distances!

@Chelyanne and @SillyBry both amazing - so good to keep up with a routine for mental and physical health, but also as you say to prepare for the labour and recovery.

I am definitely not hitting any PBs with my swimming or pushing very hard - just aiming for 800m (1/2 a mile) each swim, which is taking me about 30 minutes.

Hoping I'll be able to get back to running postpartum. Might do something silly and fun like couch to 5k, as I think it will be autumn once I'm able to run again (baby expected in mid-August) My husband is a keen runner and it was nice to do something together (although I suppose we'll have to take turns once the baby is here!)

I was also a runner, but by 7 weeks I was feeling so nauseous, bloated and knackered that I just can't do it. I'm nearly 12 weeks now and I'm walking for an hour each evening. I tried it earlier in the day but it worsened my symptoms so much that I couldn't do anything except lay horizontally for the rest of the day. I was running 3x 5k's a week, but now I get out of breath with a steady walk, and I've noticed my hands struggle with tasks like opening jars or brushing my hair. I'm just exhausted all the time!

@WolfMother326 couch to 5km is a great way to get back to running post partum and I think most likely what I plan to do to get back into it once I’m “signed off” post partum.
When baby is 6 months old, you can get a running specific buggy - my 4 year old still pops in and I run her to nursery and back etc... or when Parkrun was on, hubby used to push her round parkrun. It’s a great way to still get out and exercise as a family 😊😊

@SillyBry that's so lovely you're still using the running buggy with your 4 year old. My husband was talking about getting one of these - he thinks we can use the bugaboo set we have but with a different frame and change it out. We've also been meaning to try parkrun - all good ideas and nice stuff to look forward to! Thanks.

@WolfMother326 Absolutely - they don't sell them new anymore... but you can get the bugaboo runner frame second hand still :-)
There is a fab facebook group called The Original Buggy Runners/Active with Kids, which is full of mad parents pushing their kids! ;-) But also lots of advice and help from like minded mums and dads.
4 years old is hard work man... you have no idea how many questions she wants me to answer... and I'm like "I'm 27 weeks pregnant and pushing you kid... I can't talk as well!!!"

I'm 33 weeks and had to adjust - I ran completely as normal (without doing races or sprint intervals etc.) until 19 weeks, which was 7km 3x per week, plus 30 minutes of quite intense yoga 2x per week. Then I started getting hip pain for 24 hours after running, so switched to walking. I'm still walking comfortably for 2-3 hours although now get a bit breathless going up hills as my lungs are squashed, and definitely am slower than normal. I did some big long 5-6 hour hikes in the Brecons at 28 weeks including the biggest mountains. Although now I do find I need a long nap if I do anything very physical beyond my normal daily walk/yoga.

Just listen to your body but also try and keep fit if you can, even if that's just lots of walking and yoga. I try and do a walk before work for 40 minutes at least 3x per week, it's better to maintain a reasonable low level of fitness than save it all for the weekend and tiring yourself out.