How hard can I workout while pregnant?

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

(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?

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!

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...).

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?

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.