How hard can I workout while pregnant?

RuthieHM

My husband and I are trying for our first baby. I have been trying to determine how hard I can workout while pregnant, but I keep getting mixed answers.... even from the midwives I've consulted. (We're using a midwife, not an OB). I've been told by many people that if it's a workout I'm already doing before I get pregnant, than I can continue that while pregnant. I do hard workouts regularly, and when I had a fitness test in April, my fitness level was second to the best. So my body is used to it, but my workout heart rate is usually 150-185. It seems to me like that heart rate is too high for a pregnant lady.

Does anyone have any advice on this?

kellyscomeback

I would ask an OB when you go in for an appointment when you get pregnant. They will probably tell you to do what you were doing before but not as intense (if you do intense workouts now).

UrbanRunner81

I always did what I did before I was pregnant but I did slow down some because fatigue (you feel exhausted when you first become pregnant) and as I got bigger I did low impact just because I was starting to get achy.

DietingMommy08

If your doing it before your pregnant regularly then u can do it while your pregnant.

Personally, even with the advice of an OB or a midwife.... Its your body, your baby... So do whatever you feel comfortable doing. )

vim_n_vigor

My OB said that I could continue with any normal activities I already did with the exception of any contact activities - stationary bikes only, no basketball, volleyball, any activity where you could injure your stomach. As you get towards the end of your pregnancy you probably won't be able to breathe well enough to work out too hard anymore. It just becomes a lot more important to listen to your body. Overheating is more of an issue than heartrate. Keep yourself cool, hydrated and tummy safe.

baisleac

Your resting heart rate will go up due to higher blood volume and oxygen needs.

Strength workouts would need to be modified to maintenance vs. growth. Cardio exercise should be mild to moderate (can hold a conversation).

MrsCon40

Ask your doctor...

When I got pregnant I was a professional horseback rider until I was SEVEN months. My doctor told me I could keep doing what I had always been doing *until my body told me to stop*. I did keep riding up until a week before my daughter was born, but backed off training and showing once I couldn't get any of my clothes to fit

Riding was easy - walking on the other hand was difficult because I'd roll my ankles every other step!

HolleeERL

Overheating is more of an issue than heartrate. Keep yourself cool, hydrated and tummy safe.

Yes - THIS! More important to watch this in the first trimester.

m2purple

When I was pregnant, my Dr. told me to listen to my body, but not to start anything new... And if nothing else, even when I felt awful (from morning sickness or fatigue) to just walk... Just my 2 cents

DaniellePF

I did the same thing I always did until I was too big right before the baby was born. I had to make sure my body temp stayed down and that I stayed really hydrated. I remember my OB saying "Labor is an active sport--so don't stop training" :-). Even though you are using a midwife, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get the opinion of an OB. i am sure the midwives are very knowledgable, but they aren't doctors and everyone (and their pregnancies) are different.

livnlite

Yes, you have to ask your OB .. As far as I know, it is fine to continue with a normal routine .. But some people like (for instance) extreme athletes may experience abnormal hormonal fluctuations which will affect conception and life support for a fetus. Talk to your doctor.

Missy0104

Ask your OB but my OB's rule was "if you were doing it before pregnancy then it's safe to do it now (provided your sense of balance isn't thrown off by your workout - ie: running once your belly starts to grow)". But pregnancy isn't a time to start a new workout plan or up your fitness level.

Swimgoddess

(edited to add: I like what previous poster put about labor being a "sport" and preparing for it. Even though I overate with my first, I stayed pretty active and it really paid off in L&D. From admission to delivery my labor times for my 3 kids were 4hrs for my 1st, 90 min for my 2nd -both narcotic relief only - 2nd baby was even occiput posterior at crowning and 80min for my 3rd -with epi, probably would have been much shorter if I stuck with narcs only).

I posted this on a similar thread not long ago, but it bears repeating. I will also add that the "don't exceed 140bpm" rule around a decade ago but still gets perpetuated has been scientifically debunked. Also, think about all the kids born in 3rd world countries where the women are doing what most of us would constitute "hard labor" on a daily basis and aside from totally unrelated nutritional/other factors, their babies are still born "healthy". Do not fall into the trap of treating yourself like an invalid. Post-partum weight retention (baby weight not lost by the time the baby is 6 months old, yes... it is a medically recognized term/fact) is an EPIDEMIC in the US. I may come across as harsh, but since you're trying for your 1st, prevention is the best medicine. I naively packed on 55lbs with my 1st; still lost 95% of it in 6 weeks, but the damage was done. 10 years later and 1 month ago I was fortunate enough to have a tummy tuck to repair the damage I did by buying into the "eat for two" mentality. I learned from that experience and only gained 23 & 30lbs respectively for my other two pregnancies. But if it weren't for me being so naive the first time around, I probably could have saved myself $7k and a scar from hip to hip. A good resource for ALL mothers is the website theshapeofamother.com. It can show you what can and might happen to your body; many women on there will acknowledge that they made similar "mistakes" (like I did with #1) that exacerbated the changes in their body. But it has helped thousands of mothers accept their new forms. There is also a recent thread you can search for on here about mommy pooches/tummies that can illustrate a whole range of post-partum recoveries.

In response to "Pregnant, now what" (or similar title), I wrote:

I wasn't on MFP then, but had two very successful pregnancies as an active-duty Marine. I was within 5lbs of my prepregnancy weight by the time my 6wks maternity leave was up (and in healthy BMI range).

I continued to workout with my platoon (all guys) until the 4-5 month mark. Included calisthenics & a 3 mile run at a 28min pace 3x a week. Still worked 24hr shifts every 2-3 days, a good part standing on my feet.

Do everything you were doing before until it is no longer comfortable. Start increasing calories back to maintenance slowly. By the second trimester you should be 100-200 cals above maintenance and 300 above in your third trimester. If you start treating yourself or letting others treat you like an invalid or buy into that eat for two crap, you WILL blow up like a prize heifer.

A great resource for figuring exactly where you need to be weight-wise for your prepregnancy height, weight, and how many weeks along you are is: http://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy-weight-gain-estimator

I know breastfeeding exclusively played a HUGE part in the babyweight falling off for me in those two pregnancies in my 20s. During my last pregnancy nursing made me cling to 10lbs above my prepregnancy weight until I weaned, mostly because I couldn't take certain meds while lactating. The breastfeeding/losing weight thing differs between women and even between pregnancies. It's certainly worth giving a go... Burns 500-800 calories/day in the first 6 months if you don't supplement... just think, would you rather burn those calories sitting on your tush cuddling & bonding with your baby or running your *kitten* off for an hour or more?

Peep_chic

I had been doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval training) until I got pregnant. Its a hard and strenuos workout on which you
work at your max for at least 12 -20 minutes (dono if u r familiar with it). I've read a lot and you basically can workout but
keep your heartrate at a conversational level while you're working out. Sorry I'm not sure of the percentages but I'm sure you'll find it if you google. My Ob said I can lift the same weight I was using. You have to find alternatives for certain exercises like crunches obviously and jump rope and others. You will work like at 80% or less 'cause one gets so tired, even after this you can maintain your fitness levels.

Yes listen to your body. I decided to no longer lay on my belly for back exercises cause I've started to feel like I have a ball in between my body and the floor. As you grow you will notice what u can no longer do.

jessicamckay13

Listen to your body!

I had to back off a lot during the first trimester, due to two previous miscarriages. I think the most important thing is to listen to your body, don't get over heated, drink a TON of water, and don't push your heart rate too high.

Good luck!

Swimgoddess

For those who are saying only push to 80% / conversational-level or whatever, those are relics from that old 140bpm rule. The listen to your body rule still applies; I only stopped running when I started pulling/tearing round ligaments. After awhile you'll probably want to do away with outside groundpounding in lieu of a treadmill near a bathroom because you'll feel the need to pee every 1/4-1/2mi or so unless you can train your brain to ignore it, you only lose a tsp or two each break.

For what it's worth, I ran my fastest 3mi timed run EVER while 4-5 months pregnant. The extra blood flow from pregnancy is the biological equivalent of athletes blood-doping. No kidding. It's a great rush.

irongirl73

Depends on your pg. I ran with my first pregnancy until 32 weeks. Lower intensity of course. When I was pg with the twins (high risk pg) I was not allowed to exercise until past the first trimester and then I was allowed to walk or do water aerobics. If you have a normal pregnancy, and had been working out, you can continue to do so unless there are other factors going on. The intensity will need to be reduced of course. I had a friend work out until her delivery day. You'll have to follow your doctor's guidelines of course, but generally you can continue what you were doing (outside of riding a bike, riding a horse...).

AlsDonkBoxSquat

My husband and I are trying for our first baby. I have been trying to determine how hard I can workout while pregnant, but I keep getting mixed answers.... even from the midwives I've consulted. (We're using a midwife, not an OB). I've been told by many people that if it's a workout I'm already doing before I get pregnant, than I can continue that while pregnant. I do hard workouts regularly, and when I had a fitness test in April, my fitness level was second to the best. So my body is used to it, but my workout heart rate is usually 150-185. It seems to me like that heart rate is too high for a pregnant lady.

Does anyone have any advice on this?

My ob told me nothing that I wasn't doing before except some walking. I told her that I'm a step aerobics instructor and usually push my hr to 185 or 200. She said, "Oh, no higher than 145," I told her "I walk to the corner at 145" she said "no more than 165" I said okay and pushed no higher than 175. He's a healthy happy smart 2 yo boy. That being said, I never had an issue with pregnancy before.
I stepped until 37 weeks (to my husbands great distress), every time I broke into a sweat the participants asked me if that was my water getting ready to break.
Oh, and the best thing that I bought was a belly support.

koosdel

Mother continued her workout routine, when she was expecting me, and I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I turned out out out out out just fine. What?

RuthieHM

Thank you for all the tips and advice!

Caperfae

Barring any complications, you should be able to do what you've done before getting pregnant. There may be some restrictions on not allowing your hear rate to get above a certain level. It all depends how fit you are BEFORE getting pregnant.
When the time comes, it's best to just discuss it with your OB and get a professional opinion.

synchorswim

I also had a miscarriage, 2 years ago, lost it at week 10. Now I am pretty sure I am prego, not officially verified yet, but have morning nausea, sore boobs and feel a bit different. I am a water aerobics instructor and have really been trying to limit my movements without feeling like I am over exaggerating my bodies signals. I am very concerned that I should not be doing as much in my 1st trimester, with obvious concerns from the last experience, I don';t want that to happen again!
Clearly I cannot stop working out completely, since it is my job, should I just back off instruct and walk around checking everyone else instead of my normal 30 min. cardio?

(Planning on going to my midwife/OB next week, can't wait to get the official wooowhoo)

LilRedRooster

I was a runner regularly before getting pregnant, and kept it up throughout, just without the mindset I was training, and more with a relaxed mindset. Only time I changed it or dialed it down a lot was when the bouncing got really uncomfortable towards the third trimester, and I walked. I also snowboarded throughout the first trimester, and went horseback riding. Nothing too crazy or super high impact, and I felt great, and had a very healthy pregnancy and baby girl.

Honestly, if exercise were a huge issue in losing a pregnancy, people who need to terminate pregnancies would just go outside and run themselves into the ground, and life would be much simpler As it stands, our bodies are very adaptable, especially if you are already very fit. So long as you're getting enough calories, don't have any other conditions, and listening to your body (obviously not working to the point of fainting or severe fatigue, things you wouldn't do now, anyway), you'll be fine.