Going to the gym when pregnant

[misslomi]

Hi all,

I found out that I was pregnant on Monday. I usually go to the gym 3/4 times a week plus a few walks and I'd really like to continue. I don't lift really heavy weights or anything just some cardio and then some of the machines / light weights.

Am I okay to continue with my normal routine or are there things I should avoid? Any advice would be appreciated!

Are you on Instagram? Chloe Madeley and Shona Strong both are qualified in this area and have recently had kids, they post content around this topic.

You sound like me on my first pregnancy. I'm not in the gym now because class times tend not to suit childcare, but I still cycle/ run/ hill walk 3, sometimes 4 times a week (28 weeks now and all well). You might find yourself going for lighter weights, slower pace, a more gentle incline etc as time goes on but just listen to your body, stay hydrated, remember to include your pelvic floor exercises and really with a low risk pregnancy there should be no reason to stop completely.
Congratulations and good luck.

@tilestoclean I don't really do insta but will have a look, thanks 🙂

@sleepymama3 thank you! Did you just continue with the same core exercises? I normally do Russian twists, crunches etc.

Pre pregnancy I went 4-5 times a week - mainly HIIT and spinning - and have kept that up, now 13 weeks and (so far) all good. I’m still doing the same stuff but have turned down intensity a bit and watch my heart rate (try not to let it go over 160, although haven’t always stuck to that). Im now noticing I have to go a bit slower, but honestly it’s kept me sane and to a normal ish routine. I’ve felt rough most of the time from sickness, and actually going to the gym before work has really helped - the 45 mins I have felt most like myself each day. So I reckon if you feel like you can, go for it…

Oh and yeah I’ve still been doing crunches etc - they say fine for first trimester. I’m stopping now!

@misslomi you need to watch what exercises you are doing as some are an absolute no go e.g most of the ab ones you mentioned.
Please consult a trained professional and not people here.

@firsttimelondonmummy thank you. Did you do any exercise during pregnancy?

Pre pregnancy I went 3 times a week and did mainly weights and a little cardio; when I was first pregnant I approached one of the trainers at the gym and they adjusted my routine (free as part of normal leisure centre package) and I moved to weight machines over free weights as then I wasn’t lifting heavy weights onto a machine and as my pregnancy went on I did things like squats without weights. I continued cardio but just didn’t push myself quite so hard, I was so sick and tired in the first few weeks that I didn’t go as often ad before and restarted at 16 weeks more consistently

@misslomi I did before (gym 4 days a week ish) but haven’t during as I just didn’t feel comfortable when there are so many things you have to watch.
Even with having a partner with a degree in sports science and a PT qualification I just didn’t feel safe enough.
I do however walk my dog for an hour a day and would highly recommend pelvic floor exercises.
I’m actually eating like a horse and still tracking under where I should be for weight gain so the walking is definitely keeping it off.
But of course you can gym if you have the correct advice and know what you should and shouldn’t be doing exercises wise.

Pre-pregancy I went to the gym 4-5 times a week and now I'm nearly 24 weeks and pretty much back to this level. Definitely cut it right down in the first trimester. Just very important to listen to your body. I have always done a combination of weights and spin classes and this hasn't really changed now I'm pregnant and I plan to continue as long as my body feels good. The guidance tends to be that it's fine to continue doing what you were doing before, but don't take up anything new and I definitely don't push for PBs on the weights in the same way as before - just about maintaining fitness and strength levels.

Re-iterate what others have said about seeking some professional guidance from a PT as there are certain ab exercises that they advise against but I wouldn't really say I've cut out much else! Just slowly as I bet bigger some exercises are becoming less practical! It is a bit of a minefield though as I've found some of the PTs at my gym to have a lot more knowledge about it than others.

My understanding is that it's really good for you to keep active during pregnancy and that having a good level of fitness/strength can be really beneficial in labour and recovery afterwards. I've also found that my hip pain is a lot better when I am more active.

I stayed active right up until the day my baby was born. I ran the London Marathon at the start of my second trimester - I was well into my training when I found out I was pregnant so midwife said if I listened to my body I could carry on - I went on a 101 mile hike (not all in one go, 5 days 😂) I went to spin classes but didn’t do the standing up stuff in third trimester, went to parkrun every week and did body pump classes at home. I did have to get one of those Velcro pelvic support things at about 24 weeks to be able to carry on running and I got weird looks and unsolicited medical advice from strangers (especially at parkrun when I was very obviously pregnant) but I am so glad I was able to stay active as I was so depressed during pregnancy (hormones) and it really helped. I just made sure I never pushed myself too much - I still got my heart rate up but never to the point where I thought I’d throw up etc. I had a c section and was up and about in 5 hours, and back walking the dogs within a couple of days - I really think I got away so lightly because I’d been working out. I found out I had cancer when my baby was 16 weeks and I’ve had two surgeries and 8 rounds of chemo so far, but my body is coping strangely well and the doctors all say not being sedentary during pregnancy has helped me, as going into this with lots of excess weight/poor fitness would have been a lot harder. Congratulations and listen to your body - you’ll be fine.

(I should add that I’m in no way throwing shade on women who feel so ill/uncomfortable they can’t stay active. I was lucky my nausea turned into heartburn at 12 weeks and I didn’t really suffer with anything else)

It’s not an issue, listen to your body and be sensible but do stay active.

If you need alternative core exercises then speak to one of the trainers, they’ll be happy to look at your routine and advise on alternatives where needed.

I continued going to the gym through both pregnancies. Listen to your body, don’t let your heart rate go too high. First trimester you can pretty much do anything but not get too hot (can’t remember why)

Second trimester on you’ll find you might not be able to lie on your back as you feel sick / spacey from the bump being in the way. You should modify core exercises at this point because you’ll have pressure on your core and things like Russian twists can exacerbate your ab split.

best core exercises at this point are things like heel slides, abdominal breathing, 100s. Check out post partum tv on YouTube, she has loads of pregnancy workouts and can do your core ones from there.

be careful about lifting weights about your head and stuff like rows in case you knock your bump but otherwise it’s great to keep active in pregnancy, you just might not feel like it all the time!

If your gym has a wet facility then no sauna,steam room and hot tub.

Yes yes yes you can absolutely keep exercising and it's really good for you to help you prepare for birth too. I did CrossFit right up until my due date.

First trimester you can pretty much carry on as normal (sickness and exhaustion allowing)

When you start to pop you should be really careful about targeted core exercises which will apply internal pressure, but can do things like pallof press and bird dogs which are great for your core and focus on your pelvic floor at the same time.

Obviously just listen to your body and scale as appropriate as you start to get bigger or more breathless, and watch for things that might stress pelvic floor.

I've gone to the gym my whole pregnancy, currently 30 weeks and still lifting weights 4 times a week but only do light cardio now. I have mentioned I do this to my doctor, midwife and obstetrician and none of them seemed concerned at all.

Agree with pp. I've continued to run & lift throughout all pregnancies without an issue.

Keep doing what you normally do. Late 2nd/3rd trimester it'll get harder but it's common sense. Drop the weight, forget about pace. Don't go nuts, don't get dehydrated & no twisting or jerky movements.

Honestly find it baffling why some people treat you like a delicate flower when there's zero evidence for it. Fit & healthy mother will make for a much better pregnancy & easier recovery.

@SBR1 you don’t have to go to the gym to be fit.
Walking, swimming etc also does the job just fine.
A lot can go wrong in a gym, it’s nothing to do with treating or feeling like a delicate flower it’s doing what feels safest for you and baby.
I’ll be back in the gym 4 days a week once babies out but for now I prefer safer forms of exercise.
You should also get proper guidance before just hitting the gym.
Many exercises aren’t allowed in pregnancy and you have to watch your not over exerting which isn’t always common sense as people suggest.

I’ve continued exercising through all my pregnancies and I really believe it’s helped my recoveries afterwards too.
I didn’t do any ab exercises whilst pregnant but cardio you should be fine to continue.

Thank you all for your advice! I'm going to keep going and just listen to my body if things get too much. Trying to incorporate some yoga and walking into my routine for the days I don't go to the gym 😌

@firsttimelondonmummy good point & each to their own!
I love a good walk but I do enjoy running or being in the gym more. As a regular runner & weight lifter pre-pregnancy, i feel very safe.

On the over-exertion point, the research demonstrates moderately intense exercise is fine & you're only really needing to avoid exercise exceeding 90% of maximum heart rate for sustained periods (which i do feel is common sense..don't go nuts!)

@SBR1 moderately intense is very wish washy.
I was a runner before too but the thought of tripping and falling on bump put me off.
I guess fine if you aren’t clumsy but I’ve had some falls pre pregnancy and didn’t trust myself.
Dog is loving his extra long weekend walks though so all good 😂

@misslomi it really is just about listening to your body, but don't think that just because you are pregnant you have to stop! Ultimately it's what you are comfortable with.

I was a runner and a gym goer before getting pregnant. I'm now almost 28 weeks and have just stopped the running but am still going to the gym and it is doing wonders for my mental health. Combining it with pregnancy yoga is a great idea.

I had a session with a pregnancy PT who made me feel really at ease with what is recommended. First trimester I changed nothing but I was lucky and didn't have sickness. I'm now having to adapt due to a growing bump but the routine of the gym helps me feel myself. My midwife has also been really supportive and has talked through how staying fit is beneficial for labour.

I think it's so encouraging that discussion about exercise and pregnancy is changing. Of course, everyone should do what they feel comfortable with, but that also means people telling you that you shouldn't be doing anything!

Just to add OP, if you do carry on just remember there's a lot of stretching/adjustment happening with your soft tissue around your uterus right now, so just be aware of the risk of injury there. The same holds as you get towards the end of your pregnancy and all your lower body tissue loosens in prep for birth. I continued my normal forms of exercise (a form that was not recommended, but due to fall risk rather than actual injury) with my first and am now 14 weeks with my second (and much older this time around!) and still doing all my normal activity, though none of it is focused exercise, though it is physical. Just be aware of and sensible of your limits, and if in doubt, ask your midwife.

@misslomi I stopped any twisting/ jumping movements early enough in pregnancy both times, and soon found crunches unbearable too.
My hospital runs antenatal physio classes and the physiotherapist there recommended short stationary planks, squats and calf raises incorporating your kegels, pelvic tilts.... see if your hospital runs similar classes perhaps? Or ask your GP for advice.