Pregnancy and lifting

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I just found out i am expecting. I am 4 weeks and i want to continue lifting. Ive been trying to do research on whats safe and where to start again but what ive found isnt very informative. Any advice would be great :)

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  • sjohnson__1
    sjohnson__1 Posts: 405 Member
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    Ask your doctor!
  • bryanna277
    bryanna277 Posts: 56 Member
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    Ask your doctor!

    Thanks. I planned on it.
  • mcpostelle
    mcpostelle Posts: 418 Member
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    A lot of my heavy lifting friends that became pregnant still continued lifting, just at a progressively lower weight the farther along they were during pregnancy. Also pregnancy yoga can be great way to remain toned.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    You must talk to your doctor and continue to talk to your doctor. Bring in your current lifting routine written down exactly as to how you perform it and have him look at it carefully.
    I clearly remember I was told several things about lifting during pregnancy . one was that I shouldn't lift over my head ever. your doctor will give you specific advice . I would definitely start by talking to him.
  • ashleymariesav
    ashleymariesav Posts: 5 Member
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    Hi!
    I am a pre- post natal personal trainer. Here are a few tips. Whatever you were doing prior to pregnancy you can still do , with a few modification of course. Keep your heart rate between 50% to 80% max heart rate. 8-12 reps with weights that you would normally lift doing 12-15 reps. 2-3 sets. 20-30mins of cardio 3-6 days a week is ok but if you feel tired stop. ( if you can't speak during your workouts you are pushing too hard which can raise body temperature and cause stress on the baby. Round ligament pain kicks in mid pregnancy or earlier for some ppl so don't overdo it on the weights if you feel a strain on the core. Best core exercises are planks heel dropa and breathing exercises which activate the transverse abdominals ( inner core). Be cautious of diastasis recti while doing other types of core work. Also, around the mid of second trimester don't do exercises while lying on your back as this can put pressure on the superior vena cava and cause you to feel nauseas dizzy and restrict blood flow to the baby.

    Hope this was helpful.

    Ashley
  • sjohnson__1
    sjohnson__1 Posts: 405 Member
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    bryanna277 wrote: »
    Ask your doctor!

    Thanks. I planned on it.

    Excellent! Best of luck to you and your little one throughout the process! Congrats too, btw!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    Congrats! I continued lifting through my last pregnancy but cleared by my doctor first. Not saying your doctor will agree but mine let me continue where I was at, I just could not add any more weight or anything else any more strenuous than what I was use to. I would back off a bit until you speak to your doctor. Best of luck to you.
  • bryanna277
    bryanna277 Posts: 56 Member
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    Hi!
    I am a pre- post natal personal trainer. Here are a few tips. Whatever you were doing prior to pregnancy you can still do , with a few modification of course. Keep your heart rate between 50% to 80% max heart rate. 8-12 reps with weights that you would normally lift doing 12-15 reps. 2-3 sets. 20-30mins of cardio 3-6 days a week is ok but if you feel tired stop. ( if you can't speak during your workouts you are pushing too hard which can raise body temperature and cause stress on the baby. Round ligament pain kicks in mid pregnancy or earlier for some ppl so don't overdo it on the weights if you feel a strain on the core. Best core exercises are planks heel dropa and breathing exercises which activate the transverse abdominals ( inner core). Be cautious of diastasis recti while doing other types of core work. Also, around the mid of second trimester don't do exercises while lying on your back as this can put pressure on the superior vena cava and cause you to feel nauseas dizzy and restrict blood flow to the baby.

    Hope this was helpful.

    Ashley

    Thank you this was very helpful :)
  • bryanna277
    bryanna277 Posts: 56 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your advice. I felt worried about even asking but i would really like to continue working out throughout pregnancy. Im happy to see there are others who did as well.