Hi there,

Well today I found out that I may be pregnant (pending another test in the morning) and I've only just started at the gym in a biggest loser style 12 week program.

So what things should I avoid if this is a positive preganancy? I don't want to stop at this stage as I do need to increase my fitness (which should help with labour).

What do you suggest? I'll speak to a trainer when I am sure but in the mean time would love to hear your thoughts.

TIA

If it is beyond what you would have usually done say 2 months ago then the medical advice would be not to do it, most gym programs like this will not accept pregnant women for this reason.

Whilst pregnant it is advised your heartbeat not go over a certain level, if your body if not used to this type, intensity and frequency of exercise it will go well beyond that level which will over stress your body and can cause issues with your pregnancy (including an increased chance of miscarriage I believe).

I would continue whatever your usual level of exercise is and slowly increase it over the months monitoring your heartrate as to not overdo it. I would not do a full on boot camp style program though.

In early PG you also need to be careful not to let your core body temp rise too much - so you don't want to exercise so hard you overheat, or take any saunas or hot spas afterwards.

Ask the trainer, but if they say it's no problems, ignore them and find someone else.

When I did my training, we were told to keep a pregnant womans heart rate under 150bpm. Also avoid getting over heated eg exercising outside on a hot day or using heat forms such as steam rooms. Hydration is very important BUT, if you are using a sports drink, you may find they are not suitable for pregnant women so it is best to check this.

Squats are safe, but lunges may give rise to pelvis issues especially under load, but in saying that, you body will be different to another who has been exercising all the time. This was apparent when a friend of mine and I were pregnant at the same time, and while my body was hurting etc, she was still teaching body balance at a high level.

One thing you will love is recumbent bikes as you will help alleviate swollen legs as the legs, being elevated, drain far better.

What you were doing pre-preg will determine how much you can manage during pregnancy. As the others have said keeping body temp down is especially important in the early weeks and keeping hydrated. Heart rate is hard one as you find it might jump around during pregnancy I good guide I use is that I must be able to hold a conversation otherwise I am going to hard.

Everyone is different. I ran upto about 10kms a couple of times a week until 16 weeks but started feeling dizzy and it just didnt feel right so havent run since. I was very fit pre preg ( doing triathlon training upto 15 hours a week).

I found up to 12 weeks a bit of a challenge to keep up my usual routine as I felt sick and very tired, by about 14 weeks I started to feel better.

I have found swimming brilliant its low impact and keeps you cool. ( I am swimming about 10kms a week now= I am 25 weeks ). Walking is another thing I have found great I walk 5kms ( about hour most days). The days I exercise I have more energy and it relieves unwanted side effects like backache and bloating


After about 18 weeks you need to avoid lying on your back and should stop any type of crutches this puts to much load on your abs and the blood flow to the placenta is impacted f you lie on your back. Deep lunges should also be avoided as they put extra load on the pelvis.

Any work you can do on your pelvic floor and lower abs transadverse abdominals is also great to do all the way through ( you need a physio to show you how to engage this muscles correctly.

Yep, try and stop from over-heating in the early months (so generally - depending on how fit you are this is usually a HR of 140-150). Over-heating (especially in the early months can be harmful to the baby)

If you haven't exercised a lot before then just take it easy. Make sure you tell your trainer that you are/might be pregnant as it is important that they know and give you modified/alternate exercises.

After the first tri-mester it is not recommended to do too many exercises lying on your back as this can stop the blood flow to the baby and to also limit the ab exercises you do.

In the third tri-mester it is generally recommended to not to too many heavy squatting exercises as this can place strain in areas that aren't good for you at this stage of the pregnancy.

Pregnancy hormones can also loosen up your joints, especially later in pregnancy (your body preparing itself to give birth) so you just need to be careful you don't strain yourself.

They usually recommend moderate exercise, but tell the instructors that you are pregnant.
first time I was lifting weights and doing high impact cardio until 32 weeks (when I was put on bed rest for placenta issues)
This time Im doing my yoga, and a fit ball class, plus aqua aerobics as Im not as fit

Thanks everyone. I am going to continue with my exercise for now but at a lower intensity.

Are crunchers OK in early pregnancy?

I think one of the problems with crunches even in early pg is that you're lying on your back which can cause issues for some people. Something also about muscle separation? I'm not sure...There may be other exercises to work abs which may be safer?

I would check with my midwife/ob about exercise and what I can and could not do.

I think being aware of your body and if it feels stressed/uncomfortable with the exercise then stop or reduce. Also you can wear a heart rate monitor to help you judge how your body is coping with the exercise.

I wasn't at the gym but in the middle of some heavy prac work, lot of lifting and running around...didn't find out I was pregnant till prac was over and had moved house, (again heavy lifting and exhustion) and doctor told me no heavy lifting. Out of it all the only thing I remember bothering me at the time was doing cleaning chores and wondering why I wanted to throw up just smelling/looking at certain messes.

This. Essentially you should not be starting too much new stuff. For example, if you ran four times a week and have no other issues, in theory you could keep doing this. If you went to the gym 3x, same deal. But to suddenly start up a training routine after pregnancy is not really advisable.

I was having PT before falling, and still am, although we've obviously modified alot of exercises.

As PPs said, swimming, prenatal yoga etc etc are all good.

I don't know - i was totally into fitness before being pregnant twice..(the two i had MC) One was totally over top and my temp rose that it took hours to come back down..MC next day. The next time was a pram push and pretty light compared to what i was used to and MC next day (both always on a thursday lol - i feared Thursdays when pregnant after that) . Third time i was pg after the 2 mc with DD2, i walked and did pram push class once passed 12 weeks. Yes i put on weight from not exercising..but i got DD2, much better than fitness lol.