running whilst pregnant

I am also 5 weeks along and wonder the same thing! I've heard that you can run right up until you give birth, but I would like to know how intense I should go! Congratulations by the way

Good luck and congrats to you guys on your babies!!!

120 heart rate? that means you cannot do much. My doc said under 150. But it's all depends on your fitness level. Using heart rate is not really a good measurement. Here is a good article for you to read:

"Properly measure your exercise intensity", from BabyFit.com:

"The Talk Test

Monitoring your exercise intensity is important for your health and safety. The RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)--that all-too-familiar scale of one to 10--gets a lot of attention during pregnancy, but another method, known as the Talk Test can also help you find a comfortable, safe workout level.

Using this method, the goal is to work at a level where you can answer a question, but not comfortably carry on a conversation. In simple terms, you would be working out too hard if you have to take a breath between every word you say. Conversely, you would be exercising too easily if you could sing several phrases of a song without breathing hard.

Work at an intensity that allows you to breathe comfortably and rhythmically throughout all phases of your workout. This will ensure a safe and comfortable level of exercise. If you are breathless, or can't talk, you're working too hard! Lower the resistance level and slow down. If you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, you may be overexerting yourself and should stop.

The Talk Test has been confirmed as a simple and accurate method of gauging intensity that doesn't require any equipment or learning. Try your own Talk Test during your next workout (and compare it to your normal RPE assessment. "

RUN!!! If you have the energy and it causes no pain then run. The first doctor I went to was all *****y about me running a marathon at 5 weeks (who the heck knew I was pregnant? not me...), advised against running my half at 9 weeks. I stopped running because I was so EXHAUSTED all of the time, but my new doc says all OK so long as I don't overdo. And the BS about heart rate is silly because early on in pregnancy your heart rate will be elevated, then it comes down, and towards the end you['d be killing yourself if you tried to reach 120.

Now that I have my energy back (FINALLY, at 18 weeks) I am back to full hours at the gym doing bootcamp and whatever else I feel like. And the baby is healthy and strong from all indications.

Trust in thousands of years of women having babies...they worked, they ran, they laughed, they cried, they just LIVED and so far the human race is doing OK.

I love to run and am planning to have a baby as well. My doc said as long as you are doing those exercises before hand then you are able to continue. You know your own body and know when to slow down/stop. Keep hydrated and kick your feet up to recirculate the blood when done running or you wil get those awful foot cramps...grrrr. My doc did say to really slow down and pretty much stop ab exercises

i am about 9 weeks along and my doctor told me that i am good to go with running or any other activity that i have been consistently doing prior to becoming prego that said, i have slowed my running down a bit in pace and # of times per week that i run...i was running 5-6 days per week for 3+ miles, but since i found out that i was pregnant, i have traded a couple of days of running for walks and kept my milage lower...congratulations

I jogged throughout my entire pregnancy with my son and it helped so much. It kept me from gaining too much, I felt great and it helped with getting the weight off postpartum. I just made sure to talk to my dr first about it and I just listened to my body. I also found some great pregnancy workout videos that helped out a lot. Good luck and congratulations!!!

I run with a group called Moms in Motion. The fastest girl on the team got pregnant with her second a few years ago and I could not run faster than her until she was well into her 8th month. =P So if you were running before, running while pregnant should be no problem. Congrats!

I would certainly say to watch your heart rate during exercise. I had been running on the treadmill and noticed my HR was skyrocketing to 180 and that was not with going fast or overdoing it. It would be silly to say that your heart rate doesnt matter, it does! My docs have previously said 120 was the range they wanted to stay below. Im may want to stay fit during this but I wont compromise the health of my baby for any pant size. Be smart, listen to your body. And even if its a struggle, stay with the advise of your doc-- they have you and baby in mind.

Yeah, the heart rate measure really is not the standard anymore. It has more to do with making sure you don't over-heat and don't get oxygen deficient. Baby needs a comfy temp and needs oxygen. My understanding is to keep doing what you've been doing, but take the intensity down a notch or two. Listen to your body paying attention to how hot your feel and your breathing. You'll do great! I jogged/walked/swam my first pregnancy and did prenatal yoga and lost all byt 5 pounds of my baby weight (35 lbs) within 2 weeks postpartum (I also breast-fed baby).

Good luck!

I just found out that I am pregnant, 5 weeks, with our 2nd child. I am planning to run a 5k race on Thanksgiving. I never ran at all during my first pregnancy (or exercised much at all for that matter) and it took a long time for me to get back into shape. I am racing against my mom and their has been a lot of talking within our family about who will win! I am looking forward to racing, but nervous about pushing myself too hard while in my first trimester. I know it is safe to run while pregnant, given that you've already been running regularly (and I have), but can anyone offer any advice that has raced during pregnancy? How can I gauge my intensity to keep the baby safe, but still give a strong effort?