at what stage do you have to stop doing sit-ups?

[hairymcleary]

Are sit ups not advised from start of pregnancy, or just later on? And anyone know why?

I was told by my gym trainer to stop immediately - not because it would cause damage to the baby - but because you are liable to injure yourself. Almost immediately you start to retain water and that changes your centre of balance.

I was also told to stop them immediately by pregnancy qualified gym instuctor.

Non-abdominal work is fine to continue with though.

Aha! Just been to a class where we were told this. There is a ligament that runs down the length of the abdomen and the 6-pack muscles and obliques are attached to that ligament. So if you try to do sit ups then you pull on the ligament and it will un-zip futher than it would have naturally. The deepest layer of muscles that run around your stomach and back aren't attached to the ligament and are the ones that support your posture, so they are the ones to exercise (with pelvic floors and pulling in the lower abdomen).

Ah so it causes abdominal separation MrsTittleMouse - now that is interesting. I have amazingly strong stomach muscles naturally and get a bulgy central ligament because it swells under the pressure of pregnancy, so that'd explain it.

I'm sorry, when was I supposed to start sit up?

I was surprised too WMMC - I always thought that it was because it's a bad idea to lie on your back and have the weight of the uterus rest on the vena cava. It makes sense though, as I always got "Toblerone tummy" when I sat up in bed with DD.

You can do some abs work, but it has to be specially modified. If you go on to your hands and knees, you can suck your bump in as hard as you can, hold for ten, then slowly release for ten. Do 10/20 times.

Take advice of a trainer, and try the Pilates for Pregnancy DVD. Has some good safe abs stuff in.

thanks all... I spose I'll have to tell my trainer I'm preggers now- I was hoping to put off telling her for a couple of weeks, as I've only got two sessions to go before I'm on holiday, because I'm only five weeks atm.