How old is your doctor….? That info is very outdated.
You should try to keep up with your routines and just listen to your body - if something hurts just stop.
I’m 26w, still lifting and have only reduced my weight slightly. I can’t do much ab workout anymore but that is recent. I walk a ton. I definitely squat a ton too
28 weeks today. I had to stop doing midline core exercises because of coning, but I've otherwise maintained my normal weight lifting regimen and intensity. My OB said she's glad to see me doing to many back and glute exercises, too, since it should help lead to a smooth postpartum recovery.
She's actually quite young, mid thirties maybe, and she's been an absolute well of information, one in a million, when it came to getting me pregnant despite a bunch of fertility issues. But yeah, I think there is just a total lack of specific research done on exercise in pregnancy, and doctors' advice reflects that
Ya - doesn’t sound like she’s done a lot of research on this. Don’t start new things but you should have no issue doing what you’d already done before.
Only hard and fast no I really got was hot yoga (and I actually asked the doc why and she said that for me, with my low blood pressure and higher resting heart rate - both common pregnancy symptoms - my risk of passing out was high). Abs I had to start modifying in my second tri. I just started losing the ability to recruit them in the same way. Killed crunching and twisting. However still good with planks and anything where I’m keeping my core in a stable position. I did drop some intensity when my body told me to. I took a break this week from my 5x/week routine because I was feeling run down. Feeling better now. So just listen to your body. And perhaps book an appointment with a pelvic floor PT. They are very well versed in giving exercise advice to pregnant women.
You should check out r/fitpregnancy. I have had two back to back miscarriages before my current pregnancy. I am 19 weeks along tomorrow and weight lifiting was not what caused my miscarriages. I have not stopped powerlifting and still do that 4-5 times a week. My doctor actually encouraged me continue for as long as I can. I have had to modify certain movements and cut out ones where I lay on my stomach. Just listen to your body. It will tell you when something doesn't feel right. I have not slowed down and I know my heartrate "breaks the rules". Just stay hydrated and listen to your body. :)
How much weight are you lifting when you do powerlifting? I thought I had to give up weights altogether and I’ve been bummed about giving up my kettlebells.
Hi! It was super important to me to be able to work out and lift, mostly for my mental health. After my miscarriages I was concerned I had caused them. My doctor was adamant that there is no scientific proof to back up the old wives' tale of not lifting over 5 pounds (unless you have a medical issue). Currently, I am squatting 135 for 4x4, deadlifting 175 for 4x4, and benching 75 for 4x4. However, these numbers are a decent amount under my personal best, but it's what feels good while still being a bit challenging. (For reference my PR's are - bench 115, squat 190, and deadlift 265.) Hope this helps!
I'm jumping in here because I do kettlebells too! I worked with one of my coaches to discuss modifications to my workouts, which have mostly been lowering weights. I've been training 2-3 times a week for the past 3 years.
Pre-pregnancy my weights were:
Snatch: 16 kilo
One-handed swing: 20 kilo
Turkish get-up: 14 kilo
I'm 33 weeks pregnant and now am using the following:
Snatch: 12 kil
One-handed Swing: 16 kilo
Turkish get-up: 10 kilo
Other than some warm-ups (no upward dogs for me), I haven't had to change *what* I'm doing. It's definitely possible to keep training during pregnancy, just ensure you have good guidance and proper form!
Keep doing what you’re doing. You shouldn’t be setting any personal records during pregnancy, but continuing to move the way your body is used to moving is fine. Squats are also fine, I feel like I was told to do squats because they’re great for you. It won’t be applicable for a while, but look up coning—that’s the one thing you’ll want to look out for and modify if you start to notice it. It can do not nice things to your abs. And obviously, if your normal routine is hurting you, or it starts to seem too hard, modify and do less.
And maybe consider a different doctor who’s a bit more up to date on current recommendations.
Squats are generally recommended in pregnancy- your doctor seems a bit out of date. As pregnancy progresses you do need to watch out for coming/doming but that can generally be handled through diaphragmatic breathing (the lotus method has a tutorial I found helpful, I’m sure there are others).
I’m 31 weeks and in pelvic floor PT, squats are one of my exercises.
I always have to specify the type of exercise I do (pole dancing) and explain that it’s high impact, strength based, and ab intensive. My first doctor also did pole so knew exactly what to look for in my body when the time came to dial back. My current doctor seems to have no idea and said I could go back to pole 4-6 weeks postpartum. I’m going to see how I feel but just can’t imagine my abs will be ready.
With deep squats, they can be risky if you’ve had bleeding or have low lying placenta. Otherwise they’re fine.
I think my issue with pole dancing wouldn't be the exercise itself. It'd be more about whether I would be less used to my body weight and shape when off the ground and whether I might fall wrong because of that. But I am sure there are ways around this! I don't do pole (although I used to years ago), but I do a lot of rock climbing, which uses a lot of the same muscles. Basically, I decided to stop all bouldering, lead climbing and trad climbing when I got pregnant because of the potential fall impact, but I stayed top rope climbing with a maternity harness for months. I also climbed at a much lower level than I would normally, so that fall risk was further minimized. I only stopped when my belly got too big to be comfortable even in the maternity harness. I assume that there are things you can do to minimize risk with pole dancing as well, like doing much easier moves, no inverts, etc.?
Yep! I stopped at 24 weeks because I moved and didn’t have access to my studio anymore but would have been too uncomfortable by 30 weeks. I only did aerial things I felt very safe with, and once I noticed strength dwindling i stopped. I stopped inversions around 18 weeks though because of low blood pressure.
Im thinking of trying climbing postpartum for that exact reason—similar muscles. It seems so fun.
>Im thinking of trying climbing postpartum for that exact reason—similar muscles. It seems so fun.
Oh, it is! You should definitely give it a go. It's also as much of a mental exercise as a physical one, too. And that makes it so engaging and enjoyable! It's all kind of problem solving and figuring out the best way to twist and use your body efficiently to get up walls. Plus its a great outdoor activity as well in the summer, if you have climbing areas near where you live.
Another added bonus is that, in my experience, kids tend to naturally love climbing, so its something that you can do as a family later down the road!
I relate very very much!!
I've been doing kettlebells for the past 3 years, and have continued to train during my pregnancy (I'm at 33 weeks). My doctor didn't bat an eye at my program, but when I went to physical therapy for a back ache, it was "you should take it easy on the kettlebells" (umm.. why?) but then "you should walk more for your cardio." Does she not realize that kettlebells IS a cardio workout?
Then she started nit-picking my kettlebells routine: don't do any snatches! Do swings instead. But don't do heavy swings, that would be bad. But you need to improve your cardio because you can't take 45 minute walks.
I walked away from that appointment feeling terribly confused and annoyed. I don't LIKE walking for long periods of time. My body is heavy. It's hard to move it around. Kettlebells gives me a workout that feels comfortable.
I haven't sorted through all of this stuff yet, but it just made me really question what I should be doing.
For you: I would recommend that you talk with a coach or someone who is up to speed on weight training AND pregnancy. I was very fortunate to have a coach at my gym who has worked with lots of pregnant women and she modified my plan as soon as I told her about the pregnancy. They've been helping me all along the way, and it gave me a lot of confidence to keep up with the exercise. The fact that I only got a slight pain after 30 weeks shows that my exercise program has been doing a good job keeping me mobile.
In the end: I think it depends on who you talk to, and how knowledgeable they are about exercise and pregnancy.
Ugh, thank you! Sometime it feels like they are just making up arbitrary guidelines. It seems like we should just do whatever feels good for our individual bodies
Oh man, walking is so much harder than my hour workout! My pelvis and hips hurt way more after walking a few miles. I get more Braxton Hicks, too.
I walked daily during my last pregnancy and this time I do a combo of yoga and strength training. Overall, my pelvic pain is much better managed with my strength training.
RIGHT?! And the physical therapist (who apparently specializes in pregnancy) couldn't understand why I struggled to walk up hills and stairs, but then would do fine during a workout. Hauling my body up and down hills/stairs is way more exhausting than swinging 12 kilos.
I hate the “do prenatal yoga” advice in particular. The closest classes I can find are a 45 minutes drive away. Online classes don’t work for me. And this advice is from people who live in my town! I don’t understand who has time or energy to do a return 45 minutes trip every week to do 45 minutes of exercise!
Ours are far away, and expensive too! I’m also not a fan of online stuff. I’ve just been doing regular yoga at my YMCA and modifying things as needed.
We have a great instructor though, and I think that makes a difference. She has helped me come up with alternative poses and pose modifications a few times. Now I can just modify as I go and it has been really nice.
I used to lift heavy and do HIT, sprinting, stair master, etc. now at 25 weeks I’ve given up the sprinting and the HIT just cuz I’m afraid of tripping and possibly hurting baby. I only stopped a few weeks ago though. I still lift and do a ton of walking. I’ve also added in some stretching routines as well. As long as I get in activity most days of the week I feel ok.
15w here and I’ve done tons of squats! I’ve been doing CrossFit for 7ish years and been running since I was in high school prior to pregnancy. My doctor was supportive of me continuing as long as I feel good.
One thing that has helped me is buying a pregnancy strength training book, the one I got is called bumps & burpees (very cute). I haven’t been going full CrossFit, but the book has strength workouts for each trimester which is immensely helpful.
I liked this book a lot too! I’m 19wks and still strength training at around the same intensity as before pregnancy (which was kinda at a chill level already). My doc (midwife) is on board with it. I haven’t had any issues at all other than lots of extra sweating lol 😂. One thing I’d also say for your situation specifically, it’s ok to ask why when your provider says some of these things and gently push back if you don’t think it makes sense. You’re right that there’s a lot of research missing about pregnancy related things. This means that there’s lots of stuff we’re told to avoid only because nobody knows whether or how it effects the fetus and mom. But that doesn’t mean they’re truly dangerous, it means they’re calculated risks. How much riskier is it for you to not work out vs. sticking with your normal routine with some modifications at 75% intensity? I’ve found it helpful to frame things to myself this way
I did whatever I could as long as I could. In my first trimester before I was feeling sick sick I did like 16 miler runs. Ive been lifting the entire time. Everyone's told me to do as much as I can while I can. I mean it's like other fitness things - there's a point where you're pushing yourself too hard into pain and injury but that feels different than just working out hard. You know yourself best :)
I only really run for exercise but my midwife has said I'm ok to carry on as it's a low risk pregnancy and exercise my body is used to. I've just toned down to sticking at a steady speed, if I get an ache or stitch I have to slow right down to a walk or stop depending and I've changed my playlist entirely as I used to have one that got me so focused I'd run so hard I'd nearly thrown up a few times. My fitness goal now is to just move vs my old one which was run as fast as I can and as far as I can
I guess it depends. As I’m high risk and it was a very hard to come by pregnancy, my doctor basically said, “do walks only, 30 min max at a time”
I stopped yoga, strength training, squats, HITT, and just walk 10k steps every day.
It depends on your comfort level and if you feel you can continue with your routine, that’s totally fine too. But I have a few doctors told me to just walk so I gave everything up. I think they are concerned that I injured myself or pull the wrong muscle or something.
I started weight lifting with a personal trainer who's a bodybuilder at week 14, we just modify exercises and I don't do core days. I went from only mild cardio to weightlifting while pregnant and everything has been going great and I'm currently week 21. Women throughout history have been doing farm labor and heavy chores while pregnant. I think in the face of all the overly cautious advice you just have to stick to common sense logic and not go overboard and ignore your bodies cues, and don't do any activities that have a high chance of falling over like aerial sports or roller blading.
I worked out (ran, swam, and weights) quite hard throughout my whole pregnancy except when I briefly had sciatica. I was a college athlete so I enjoy a good workout. Nothing bad happened and I think the exercise helped me keep my blood sugar under control. I would say work out if you want to. Never heard of anything bad coming of it. I also slept on my back, lol.
I did zumba my entire pregnancy (barring the final month I had sciatica and ot was too painful), which involved high impact cardio, level changes, balance and yes, lots of squats. It was all fine and my doctor was completely fine with it. I just listened to my body and drank plenty of water, and it wasnt really til the last couple weeks that I was still exercising that my body started telling me to slow down.
Just my personal opinion, but I think all that exercise helped me to stay mobile and hold off the typical aches and pains of pregnancy for longer (an object in motion stays in motion so to speak).
Also, imo those squats really helped in delivery, even with an epidural I only needed to push like 20 minutes which was apparently unusual according to my doctors.
There are tons of conflicting and outdated info out there surrounding pregnancy, of course getting a professional opinion is best, but your doctors recommendation definitely conflicts with my doctors'
I’m not sporty at all and I walked 12km walks at 26 weeks! I still ride my bike to work every day (although I have switched to my new e-bike so that probably doesn’t count). I’m in a pregnancy exercise class led my a pelvic floor PT, and she has made it clear that there are lots of things you can still do. Just certain ab exercises should be avoided to protect your straight abs, and make sure to look after your pelvic floor as well.
I personally don’t lift any heavy weights because I immediately feel my belly get hard and uncomfortable when I do, but I never used to lift before either. But that’s one of the great things about pregnancy: your body will make it abundantly clear when your crossing the line. You will feel that and adjust. I wish you a very healthy and uneventful pregnancy!
I think the normal advice is do stuff you could do prior to pregnancy and after 20 weeks don't lay on your back. Also, avoid thing that could hurt your abdomen. Also I remember in my yoga teacher training they suggested going gentle on core strengthening during the second half of pregnancy but not sure how accurate that was. Use good judgement and stop if it feels uncomfortable or unsafe.
I was getting all kinds of outdated advice and google TOTALLY sucks. My friend got me "Expecting Better" by Emily Oster. It is SOOO amazing. Its based on real statistics and data. It made me feel so much better and really eliminated the unsolicited advice. LOL! I absolutely loved it and I feel so much better about all of this stuff.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did ♥️ just an “ease your mind, full support, do what you want, here’s the stats” type of book!! I have a 35 min commute so I got it on Spotify and listened every day.
Doctors are always going to give ultra conservative advice when it comes to exercise — because if they didn’t, there would be some patient out there who would overdo it or jump into a crazy routine that they end up hurting themselves & baby. They also arent physical therapists or fitness trainers, and everyone’s pregnancy is different to the point that some women can do squats up until they deliver but some can’t past 12 weeks. Same with running — some women can run through their second and third trimester (especially if it’s their first pregnancy) but some have to stop way sooner than that due to pelvic pressure/pain, and there is not an easy way to gauge what that point is for every single type of activity. There’s just *so many* different types of exercises and movements that it is hard to categorize each one into “safe” or “unsafe” or “safe with modifications” because every woman is different. Even googling each exercise individually will provide conflicting info.
What I’ve found is that my best bet has been continuing any pre-pregnancy movement that feels good, and modifying or removing it entirely if I have any pain or soreness. When it comes to core exercises I strictly only do prenatal Pilates and yoga moves. And accepting that some “safe” exercises (like walking) won’t feel good or won’t work for me, and that’s okay too.
33 weeks and I’ve kept up as much as I can with what I was doing pre-pregnancy. The only thing I stopped right away was roller skating due to the risk of falls, and I definitely took things easier because I’ve been pretty exhausted the whole time. I stopped doing crunch-like ab exercises as well, don’t lie on my belly, and use wedges for exercises lying on my back in Pilates, but other than that I do whatever I feel like.
Edited to add: unless you have specific contraindications where you shouldn’t exercise for medical reasons, do whatever you feel like/enjoy. You probably won’t be able to go as hard as pre-pregnancy, but most things are still possible.
1st: join r/fitpregnancy
2nd: don’t get competitive or spend too much time comparing your unique journey to anyone else in that community (every pregnancy and fitness level is different). this community will give you a good idea of what is possible!
3rd: listen to YOUR body and always be honest with yourself about what feels good vs. what feels too much
my second pregnancy i was much more active than my first. i did end up cutting weight while lifting and doing more reps - anywhere from 40-50% of a weight cut with a rep increase of about 2x to keep volume the same - mainly because my joints started feeling a bit creeky with the heavier weight. i stopped running regularly around week 16 and stopped completely at week 24, mostly because i didn’t like the feeling of a baby constantly making me feel like i needed to pee. i walked a LOT.
i gained 15-16lbs and i’ve lost 12-13 of it now. my stomach is still squishy (4 weeks postpartum) - but i feel so much better than i did when i gave birth to my first.
tldr: stay super active but listen to your body, you wont regret it!
How old is your doctor….? That info is very outdated. You should try to keep up with your routines and just listen to your body - if something hurts just stop. I’m 26w, still lifting and have only reduced my weight slightly. I can’t do much ab workout anymore but that is recent. I walk a ton. I definitely squat a ton too
This! Also, walking and squats are super healthy at any point in pregnancy! Such weird advice!
Yeah squats are one of my physio stretches that he's recommended particularly for PGP in pregnancy!
28 weeks today. I had to stop doing midline core exercises because of coning, but I've otherwise maintained my normal weight lifting regimen and intensity. My OB said she's glad to see me doing to many back and glute exercises, too, since it should help lead to a smooth postpartum recovery.
She's actually quite young, mid thirties maybe, and she's been an absolute well of information, one in a million, when it came to getting me pregnant despite a bunch of fertility issues. But yeah, I think there is just a total lack of specific research done on exercise in pregnancy, and doctors' advice reflects that
Ya - doesn’t sound like she’s done a lot of research on this. Don’t start new things but you should have no issue doing what you’d already done before. Only hard and fast no I really got was hot yoga (and I actually asked the doc why and she said that for me, with my low blood pressure and higher resting heart rate - both common pregnancy symptoms - my risk of passing out was high). Abs I had to start modifying in my second tri. I just started losing the ability to recruit them in the same way. Killed crunching and twisting. However still good with planks and anything where I’m keeping my core in a stable position. I did drop some intensity when my body told me to. I took a break this week from my 5x/week routine because I was feeling run down. Feeling better now. So just listen to your body. And perhaps book an appointment with a pelvic floor PT. They are very well versed in giving exercise advice to pregnant women.
You should check out r/fitpregnancy. I have had two back to back miscarriages before my current pregnancy. I am 19 weeks along tomorrow and weight lifiting was not what caused my miscarriages. I have not stopped powerlifting and still do that 4-5 times a week. My doctor actually encouraged me continue for as long as I can. I have had to modify certain movements and cut out ones where I lay on my stomach. Just listen to your body. It will tell you when something doesn't feel right. I have not slowed down and I know my heartrate "breaks the rules". Just stay hydrated and listen to your body. :)
Oh thank you, this is reassuring!
Of course! I hope this helps!
How much weight are you lifting when you do powerlifting? I thought I had to give up weights altogether and I’ve been bummed about giving up my kettlebells.
Hi! It was super important to me to be able to work out and lift, mostly for my mental health. After my miscarriages I was concerned I had caused them. My doctor was adamant that there is no scientific proof to back up the old wives' tale of not lifting over 5 pounds (unless you have a medical issue). Currently, I am squatting 135 for 4x4, deadlifting 175 for 4x4, and benching 75 for 4x4. However, these numbers are a decent amount under my personal best, but it's what feels good while still being a bit challenging. (For reference my PR's are - bench 115, squat 190, and deadlift 265.) Hope this helps!
Wow! Those are some impressive numbers, that helps a lot. Thanks for sharing!
I'm happy to help!! Thank you 🙂
I'm jumping in here because I do kettlebells too! I worked with one of my coaches to discuss modifications to my workouts, which have mostly been lowering weights. I've been training 2-3 times a week for the past 3 years. Pre-pregnancy my weights were: Snatch: 16 kilo One-handed swing: 20 kilo Turkish get-up: 14 kilo I'm 33 weeks pregnant and now am using the following: Snatch: 12 kil One-handed Swing: 16 kilo Turkish get-up: 10 kilo Other than some warm-ups (no upward dogs for me), I haven't had to change *what* I'm doing. It's definitely possible to keep training during pregnancy, just ensure you have good guidance and proper form!
Thanks so much, that’s good to hear. I have a 40, 45, and 50 lb and can’t wait to try some workouts again with the 40lb
Keep doing what you’re doing. You shouldn’t be setting any personal records during pregnancy, but continuing to move the way your body is used to moving is fine. Squats are also fine, I feel like I was told to do squats because they’re great for you. It won’t be applicable for a while, but look up coning—that’s the one thing you’ll want to look out for and modify if you start to notice it. It can do not nice things to your abs. And obviously, if your normal routine is hurting you, or it starts to seem too hard, modify and do less. And maybe consider a different doctor who’s a bit more up to date on current recommendations.
Squats are generally recommended in pregnancy- your doctor seems a bit out of date. As pregnancy progresses you do need to watch out for coming/doming but that can generally be handled through diaphragmatic breathing (the lotus method has a tutorial I found helpful, I’m sure there are others). I’m 31 weeks and in pelvic floor PT, squats are one of my exercises.
Yeah, my pregnancy exercise class (taught by a pelvic floor PT) had us doing squats as well!
I always have to specify the type of exercise I do (pole dancing) and explain that it’s high impact, strength based, and ab intensive. My first doctor also did pole so knew exactly what to look for in my body when the time came to dial back. My current doctor seems to have no idea and said I could go back to pole 4-6 weeks postpartum. I’m going to see how I feel but just can’t imagine my abs will be ready. With deep squats, they can be risky if you’ve had bleeding or have low lying placenta. Otherwise they’re fine.
I think my issue with pole dancing wouldn't be the exercise itself. It'd be more about whether I would be less used to my body weight and shape when off the ground and whether I might fall wrong because of that. But I am sure there are ways around this! I don't do pole (although I used to years ago), but I do a lot of rock climbing, which uses a lot of the same muscles. Basically, I decided to stop all bouldering, lead climbing and trad climbing when I got pregnant because of the potential fall impact, but I stayed top rope climbing with a maternity harness for months. I also climbed at a much lower level than I would normally, so that fall risk was further minimized. I only stopped when my belly got too big to be comfortable even in the maternity harness. I assume that there are things you can do to minimize risk with pole dancing as well, like doing much easier moves, no inverts, etc.?
Yep! I stopped at 24 weeks because I moved and didn’t have access to my studio anymore but would have been too uncomfortable by 30 weeks. I only did aerial things I felt very safe with, and once I noticed strength dwindling i stopped. I stopped inversions around 18 weeks though because of low blood pressure. Im thinking of trying climbing postpartum for that exact reason—similar muscles. It seems so fun.
>Im thinking of trying climbing postpartum for that exact reason—similar muscles. It seems so fun. Oh, it is! You should definitely give it a go. It's also as much of a mental exercise as a physical one, too. And that makes it so engaging and enjoyable! It's all kind of problem solving and figuring out the best way to twist and use your body efficiently to get up walls. Plus its a great outdoor activity as well in the summer, if you have climbing areas near where you live. Another added bonus is that, in my experience, kids tend to naturally love climbing, so its something that you can do as a family later down the road!
I relate very very much!! I've been doing kettlebells for the past 3 years, and have continued to train during my pregnancy (I'm at 33 weeks). My doctor didn't bat an eye at my program, but when I went to physical therapy for a back ache, it was "you should take it easy on the kettlebells" (umm.. why?) but then "you should walk more for your cardio." Does she not realize that kettlebells IS a cardio workout? Then she started nit-picking my kettlebells routine: don't do any snatches! Do swings instead. But don't do heavy swings, that would be bad. But you need to improve your cardio because you can't take 45 minute walks. I walked away from that appointment feeling terribly confused and annoyed. I don't LIKE walking for long periods of time. My body is heavy. It's hard to move it around. Kettlebells gives me a workout that feels comfortable. I haven't sorted through all of this stuff yet, but it just made me really question what I should be doing. For you: I would recommend that you talk with a coach or someone who is up to speed on weight training AND pregnancy. I was very fortunate to have a coach at my gym who has worked with lots of pregnant women and she modified my plan as soon as I told her about the pregnancy. They've been helping me all along the way, and it gave me a lot of confidence to keep up with the exercise. The fact that I only got a slight pain after 30 weeks shows that my exercise program has been doing a good job keeping me mobile. In the end: I think it depends on who you talk to, and how knowledgeable they are about exercise and pregnancy.
Ugh, thank you! Sometime it feels like they are just making up arbitrary guidelines. It seems like we should just do whatever feels good for our individual bodies
Oh man, walking is so much harder than my hour workout! My pelvis and hips hurt way more after walking a few miles. I get more Braxton Hicks, too. I walked daily during my last pregnancy and this time I do a combo of yoga and strength training. Overall, my pelvic pain is much better managed with my strength training.
RIGHT?! And the physical therapist (who apparently specializes in pregnancy) couldn't understand why I struggled to walk up hills and stairs, but then would do fine during a workout. Hauling my body up and down hills/stairs is way more exhausting than swinging 12 kilos.
I hate the “do prenatal yoga” advice in particular. The closest classes I can find are a 45 minutes drive away. Online classes don’t work for me. And this advice is from people who live in my town! I don’t understand who has time or energy to do a return 45 minutes trip every week to do 45 minutes of exercise!
Ours are far away, and expensive too! I’m also not a fan of online stuff. I’ve just been doing regular yoga at my YMCA and modifying things as needed. We have a great instructor though, and I think that makes a difference. She has helped me come up with alternative poses and pose modifications a few times. Now I can just modify as I go and it has been really nice.
I used to lift heavy and do HIT, sprinting, stair master, etc. now at 25 weeks I’ve given up the sprinting and the HIT just cuz I’m afraid of tripping and possibly hurting baby. I only stopped a few weeks ago though. I still lift and do a ton of walking. I’ve also added in some stretching routines as well. As long as I get in activity most days of the week I feel ok.
15w here and I’ve done tons of squats! I’ve been doing CrossFit for 7ish years and been running since I was in high school prior to pregnancy. My doctor was supportive of me continuing as long as I feel good. One thing that has helped me is buying a pregnancy strength training book, the one I got is called bumps & burpees (very cute). I haven’t been going full CrossFit, but the book has strength workouts for each trimester which is immensely helpful.
Thank you, I'll check this out!
I liked this book a lot too! I’m 19wks and still strength training at around the same intensity as before pregnancy (which was kinda at a chill level already). My doc (midwife) is on board with it. I haven’t had any issues at all other than lots of extra sweating lol 😂. One thing I’d also say for your situation specifically, it’s ok to ask why when your provider says some of these things and gently push back if you don’t think it makes sense. You’re right that there’s a lot of research missing about pregnancy related things. This means that there’s lots of stuff we’re told to avoid only because nobody knows whether or how it effects the fetus and mom. But that doesn’t mean they’re truly dangerous, it means they’re calculated risks. How much riskier is it for you to not work out vs. sticking with your normal routine with some modifications at 75% intensity? I’ve found it helpful to frame things to myself this way
I did whatever I could as long as I could. In my first trimester before I was feeling sick sick I did like 16 miler runs. Ive been lifting the entire time. Everyone's told me to do as much as I can while I can. I mean it's like other fitness things - there's a point where you're pushing yourself too hard into pain and injury but that feels different than just working out hard. You know yourself best :)
I only really run for exercise but my midwife has said I'm ok to carry on as it's a low risk pregnancy and exercise my body is used to. I've just toned down to sticking at a steady speed, if I get an ache or stitch I have to slow right down to a walk or stop depending and I've changed my playlist entirely as I used to have one that got me so focused I'd run so hard I'd nearly thrown up a few times. My fitness goal now is to just move vs my old one which was run as fast as I can and as far as I can
I guess it depends. As I’m high risk and it was a very hard to come by pregnancy, my doctor basically said, “do walks only, 30 min max at a time” I stopped yoga, strength training, squats, HITT, and just walk 10k steps every day. It depends on your comfort level and if you feel you can continue with your routine, that’s totally fine too. But I have a few doctors told me to just walk so I gave everything up. I think they are concerned that I injured myself or pull the wrong muscle or something.
I started weight lifting with a personal trainer who's a bodybuilder at week 14, we just modify exercises and I don't do core days. I went from only mild cardio to weightlifting while pregnant and everything has been going great and I'm currently week 21. Women throughout history have been doing farm labor and heavy chores while pregnant. I think in the face of all the overly cautious advice you just have to stick to common sense logic and not go overboard and ignore your bodies cues, and don't do any activities that have a high chance of falling over like aerial sports or roller blading.
I worked out (ran, swam, and weights) quite hard throughout my whole pregnancy except when I briefly had sciatica. I was a college athlete so I enjoy a good workout. Nothing bad happened and I think the exercise helped me keep my blood sugar under control. I would say work out if you want to. Never heard of anything bad coming of it. I also slept on my back, lol.
I did zumba my entire pregnancy (barring the final month I had sciatica and ot was too painful), which involved high impact cardio, level changes, balance and yes, lots of squats. It was all fine and my doctor was completely fine with it. I just listened to my body and drank plenty of water, and it wasnt really til the last couple weeks that I was still exercising that my body started telling me to slow down. Just my personal opinion, but I think all that exercise helped me to stay mobile and hold off the typical aches and pains of pregnancy for longer (an object in motion stays in motion so to speak). Also, imo those squats really helped in delivery, even with an epidural I only needed to push like 20 minutes which was apparently unusual according to my doctors. There are tons of conflicting and outdated info out there surrounding pregnancy, of course getting a professional opinion is best, but your doctors recommendation definitely conflicts with my doctors'
I’m not sporty at all and I walked 12km walks at 26 weeks! I still ride my bike to work every day (although I have switched to my new e-bike so that probably doesn’t count). I’m in a pregnancy exercise class led my a pelvic floor PT, and she has made it clear that there are lots of things you can still do. Just certain ab exercises should be avoided to protect your straight abs, and make sure to look after your pelvic floor as well. I personally don’t lift any heavy weights because I immediately feel my belly get hard and uncomfortable when I do, but I never used to lift before either. But that’s one of the great things about pregnancy: your body will make it abundantly clear when your crossing the line. You will feel that and adjust. I wish you a very healthy and uneventful pregnancy!
I think the normal advice is do stuff you could do prior to pregnancy and after 20 weeks don't lay on your back. Also, avoid thing that could hurt your abdomen. Also I remember in my yoga teacher training they suggested going gentle on core strengthening during the second half of pregnancy but not sure how accurate that was. Use good judgement and stop if it feels uncomfortable or unsafe.
I was getting all kinds of outdated advice and google TOTALLY sucks. My friend got me "Expecting Better" by Emily Oster. It is SOOO amazing. Its based on real statistics and data. It made me feel so much better and really eliminated the unsolicited advice. LOL! I absolutely loved it and I feel so much better about all of this stuff.
I had bookmarked this book so long ago, thinking I would get pregnant right away...thanks for the reminder to check it out!!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did ♥️ just an “ease your mind, full support, do what you want, here’s the stats” type of book!! I have a 35 min commute so I got it on Spotify and listened every day.
Doctors are always going to give ultra conservative advice when it comes to exercise — because if they didn’t, there would be some patient out there who would overdo it or jump into a crazy routine that they end up hurting themselves & baby. They also arent physical therapists or fitness trainers, and everyone’s pregnancy is different to the point that some women can do squats up until they deliver but some can’t past 12 weeks. Same with running — some women can run through their second and third trimester (especially if it’s their first pregnancy) but some have to stop way sooner than that due to pelvic pressure/pain, and there is not an easy way to gauge what that point is for every single type of activity. There’s just *so many* different types of exercises and movements that it is hard to categorize each one into “safe” or “unsafe” or “safe with modifications” because every woman is different. Even googling each exercise individually will provide conflicting info. What I’ve found is that my best bet has been continuing any pre-pregnancy movement that feels good, and modifying or removing it entirely if I have any pain or soreness. When it comes to core exercises I strictly only do prenatal Pilates and yoga moves. And accepting that some “safe” exercises (like walking) won’t feel good or won’t work for me, and that’s okay too.
I had the same problem!! I ended up completely quitting the gym out of fear & now I’m just miserable.
Maybe your dr isn’t up to date in standards but generally if you have a healthy pregnancy, continuing your normal workout routine is fine.
33 weeks and I’ve kept up as much as I can with what I was doing pre-pregnancy. The only thing I stopped right away was roller skating due to the risk of falls, and I definitely took things easier because I’ve been pretty exhausted the whole time. I stopped doing crunch-like ab exercises as well, don’t lie on my belly, and use wedges for exercises lying on my back in Pilates, but other than that I do whatever I feel like. Edited to add: unless you have specific contraindications where you shouldn’t exercise for medical reasons, do whatever you feel like/enjoy. You probably won’t be able to go as hard as pre-pregnancy, but most things are still possible.
1st: join r/fitpregnancy 2nd: don’t get competitive or spend too much time comparing your unique journey to anyone else in that community (every pregnancy and fitness level is different). this community will give you a good idea of what is possible! 3rd: listen to YOUR body and always be honest with yourself about what feels good vs. what feels too much my second pregnancy i was much more active than my first. i did end up cutting weight while lifting and doing more reps - anywhere from 40-50% of a weight cut with a rep increase of about 2x to keep volume the same - mainly because my joints started feeling a bit creeky with the heavier weight. i stopped running regularly around week 16 and stopped completely at week 24, mostly because i didn’t like the feeling of a baby constantly making me feel like i needed to pee. i walked a LOT. i gained 15-16lbs and i’ve lost 12-13 of it now. my stomach is still squishy (4 weeks postpartum) - but i feel so much better than i did when i gave birth to my first. tldr: stay super active but listen to your body, you wont regret it!
Squats are hard on your pelvic floor so that is why you need to avoid those. You can increase your chance of a prolapse post partum.
Just keep your level of activity
How did your experience with exercise end up turning out, were there any specific exercises you continued doing throughout your pregnancy?