Is pregnancy effecting my workout or am i just weaker?

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mrsaniamanning
mrsaniamanning Posts: 56 Member
edited January 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all, so i am 12 weeks pregnant and i have been going on the treadmill daily for the last 3 years at 3 mph with 10% incline for an hour and a half.. Well the last couple of weeks i can only do an hour because my chest hurts so bad because i feel like i am so out of breath and this has never happened before. Is this due to pregnancy or is it just me being weak? Am i no longer considered active?
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Replies

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    First congrats!
    Second, you are growing another human being and your body is making many changes to accommodate that so it will definitely affect your fitness level. Sounds like you are overexerting yourself... keeping active means moving (even just stretching and walking) so try to take it easy and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.
  • mrsaniamanning
    mrsaniamanning Posts: 56 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    First congrats!
    Second, you are growing another human being and your body is making many changes to accommodate that so it will definitely affect your fitness level. Sounds like you are overexerting yourself... keeping active means moving (even just stretching and walking) so try to take it easy and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

    Thank you :) my doctor told me even an hour was a bit excessive but i dont believe that to be true?
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
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    mrsaniamanning wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    First congrats!
    Second, you are growing another human being and your body is making many changes to accommodate that so it will definitely affect your fitness level. Sounds like you are overexerting yourself... keeping active means moving (even just stretching and walking) so try to take it easy and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

    Thank you :) my doctor told me even an hour was a bit excessive but i dont believe that to be true?

    You should listen to your doctor.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    mrsaniamanning wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    First congrats!
    Second, you are growing another human being and your body is making many changes to accommodate that so it will definitely affect your fitness level. Sounds like you are overexerting yourself... keeping active means moving (even just stretching and walking) so try to take it easy and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

    Thank you :) my doctor told me even an hour was a bit excessive but i dont believe that to be true?

    :/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
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    When I was pregnant even in the first trimester it really effected my stamina and muscle strength I had to both lower the intensity of my workouts as well as drop the weight I used for lifting and by the third trimester I had to stop completely (due to separate pregnancy complications). If your doctor OKs you for general exercise you most likely will have to make a choice between the length of your workout and the intesnity. Like choosing a 20 minute RUN vs a 1 1/2 hour moderate speed WALK.

    The reasons for the weakness and drop in stamina are many. Between extra blood flow to your organs instead of muscles, hormones making a muck of things and your body using your fuel to, ya know, grow another human. Just make sure you aren't pushing it and taking advice from your doctor first and foremost.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Have you... read anything on pregnancy? At all?

    Your blood level has increased by 50%. No amount of activity level before can help the body deal with that in a short amount of time -- all of your organs have to work harder because of this blood, and the growing fetus' needs trump all of yours. Being out of breath is probably one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy as a result.

    Generally you can keep doing what you were doing before pregnancy, just at a much reduced pace/level of endurance and strength. If your doctor says to dial it down, dial it down. Not entirely sure why you're not "believing" it to be true.
  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
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    I still find jogging the same way I did before pretty easy (except the whole bladder wants to empty itself every 5 minutes), but just did Level One of the 30 Day Shred yesterday for the first time since getting pregnant and I noticed a huge difference when it came to trying to do the moves. I had to do everything following the "beginner" lady, and was only able to knock out 3 regular push-ups (was doing 15 pre-pregnancy). My arms are definitely a little weaker.

    Pregnancy affects everyone in a different way, so it could just be you need to tone down your exercise speed. Just listen to your body. :)
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    mrsaniamanning wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    First congrats!
    Second, you are growing another human being and your body is making many changes to accommodate that so it will definitely affect your fitness level. Sounds like you are overexerting yourself... keeping active means moving (even just stretching and walking) so try to take it easy and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

    Thank you :) my doctor told me even an hour was a bit excessive but i dont believe that to be true?

    Whelp......... Keep punchin then?
  • FitGamerSmoak
    FitGamerSmoak Posts: 224 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Pregnancy is about growing a human. Yes it will affect your strength, your stamina, your life LOL. But it's worth it. They push on your lungs, your bladder, and change your posture. If you doctor says dial it down, you dial it down. If you don't you a potentially setting yourself up for losing the baby. Just saying.

    And to @mrsaniamanning, congrats on your pregnancy. :-)
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    mrsaniamanning wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    First congrats!
    Second, you are growing another human being and your body is making many changes to accommodate that so it will definitely affect your fitness level. Sounds like you are overexerting yourself... keeping active means moving (even just stretching and walking) so try to take it easy and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

    Thank you :) my doctor told me even an hour was a bit excessive but i dont believe that to be true?

    Trust your dr. Or find a new dr.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    edited January 2016
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    OP, here's why you are running out of breath.
    tumblr_ndj32tfely1tlppcdo1_250.gif

    Take it from this old lady. Dialling it back a bit to be kind to your body does not in any way mean you are giving up!

  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 795 Member
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    If you are having chest pains and out of breath, you shouldn't need your doctor to tell you to slow down. Your body is screaming at you already.

    Walking is great exercise during pregnancy - drop the incline and see if that helps you enough, and if it doesn't, then nudge the speed down. An hour-long walk every day of pregnancy is a GREAT thing to help with easing labor and maintaining a healthy amount of weight gain. It's not the duration that's your problem, it's the intensity.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    http://www.everydayhealth.com/eating-disorders/compulsive-exercise.aspx
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    OP, I'm sure it's pregnancy related. Your intensity is pretty low, so I doubt that has much to do with it, probably more related to calorie needs and a shift in your biological priorities.

    On a side note, regardless of the perceived benefits (or lack there of) of medicine, doctors, etc... I love the fact that we all just assume more people is a good thing.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    jacksonpt wrote: »
    OP, I'm sure it's pregnancy related. Your intensity is pretty low, so I doubt that has much to do with it, probably more related to calorie needs and a shift in your biological priorities.

    On a side note, regardless of the perceived benefits (or lack there of) of medicine, doctors, etc... I love the fact that we all just assume more people is a good thing.

    I've read this 5 times and I'm still lost; are you trying to say people shouldn't procreate?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    auddii wrote: »
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    OP, I'm sure it's pregnancy related. Your intensity is pretty low, so I doubt that has much to do with it, probably more related to calorie needs and a shift in your biological priorities.

    On a side note, regardless of the perceived benefits (or lack there of) of medicine, doctors, etc... I love the fact that we all just assume more people is a good thing.

    I've read this 5 times and I'm still lost; are you trying to say people shouldn't procreate?

    I wouldn't make it that absolute, but I think there is a lot more to the issue of reproduction than most people bother to consider.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    maroonmango211 wrote: »
    When I was pregnant even in the first trimester it really effected my stamina and muscle strength I had to both lower the intensity of my workouts as well as drop the weight I used for lifting and by the third trimester I had to stop completely (due to separate pregnancy complications). If your doctor OKs you for general exercise you most likely will have to make a choice between the length of your workout and the intesnity. Like choosing a 20 minute RUN vs a 1 1/2 hour moderate speed WALK.

    The reasons for the weakness and drop in stamina are many. Between extra blood flow to your organs instead of muscles, hormones making a muck of things and your body using your fuel to, ya know, grow another human. Just make sure you aren't pushing it and taking advice from your doctor first and foremost.

    I don't think that suggesting the OP run instead of walk, if she wasn't a runner before pregnancy, is a good idea.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    I have a hard time understanding what the question is here... Basically, you AND your doctor both have concluded that the exercise impact is indeed due to your pregnancy. Why ask a bunch of people who don't know you or your case?
    Pregnancy increases a woman's caloric burns, nutrient needs, water needs, sleep needs... everything. Regardless of whether the fetus is large enough to press on organs significantly, it's still 100% reliant on your supply of things. I understand walking and aqua classes to keep the muscles toned and supportive, and aid in a successful delivery, but if your doctor says that for you and your pregnancy, an hour of exercise is a bit much... That doctor is going to know far better than any stranger in an internet forum.
    Assuming you want to keep your pregnancy and have no complications, I would abide by the suggestions of your physician. Yes, there are marathon runners that have run marathons pregnant, but those women spend years training at high intensity levels and become pregnant when they are already able to run marathons (typically). From the sounds of it, you've not been pushing to train up or increase your stamina over the last few years, so you're definitely not conditioned for what you're trying to do right now.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Quasita wrote: »
    I have a hard time understanding what the question is here... Basically, you AND your doctor both have concluded that the exercise impact is indeed due to your pregnancy. Why ask a bunch of people who don't know you or your case?

    When the doctor doesn't give you the answer you want to hear, you turn to other people until you get it.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Your growing a human. Please listen to your doctor .

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