1st Trimester Questions.....restrictions?

[GonnaBeFirm]

Hi --
I'm just 5 1/2 weeks pregnant. This is my second pregnancy. I didn't exercise at all with my first. I've been working out to Cathe and Firm tapes for about 10 months. I've made wonderful progress in my fitness level, but I'm still overweight. (I'm 5'3" and weight about 185 lbs). I am wondering if there is anything in particular I should avoid doing? I don't do high impact workouts - so that won't be a problem. But I do like to lift fairly heavy weights at times. I know that you shouldn't lay on your back for ab work past the first trimester.

So - I guess my question mainly involves weight training - I use Cathe's PS series, Power Hour, MIS, S& H. What should I watch for in my workouts -- so that I'm getting the most out of my workouts without overdoing it?

I have already asked my doctor -- she gave me the "green light" to exercise. She mentioned that the guidelines were to keep your heartrate under 140 bpm (I think that's outdated) and not to lift weights over 20 lbs (but my son weighs 35 lbs!) These were her "general rules" but not directed to me in particular.


Thanks -
Jennifer k

 

[tchersue]

Hi Jennifer and Welcome!

You are right about your OB's instructions being a little outdated (the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology is my guide)... listen to your body instead of thinking about heart rate in terms of beats per minute -- use a scale of perceived exertion where you are working slightly hard to hard... never to the point of breathlessness, though. This is really different for different women, and you'll probably find that one day you'll have tons of energy and feel great, and another you'll feel sluggish and want to quit. Most importantly, drink lots of water before, during, and after working out. You want to keep your core body temperature regulated -- especially in the 1st trimester!

As for weights, again, you don't want to over-exert (it's easy to hurt your joints when you are pregnant because you'll have lots of the hormone relaxin in your system), but since you have been working out, you will probably be able to lift at a similar level to what you've been doing for much of your pregnancy. If you ever feel like your joints are achy or that you are having trouble maintaining form, then you should take it down a notch or two... or maybe stop a particular move altogether. Based on Sheila's recommendations, I use bands (like Resist-a-bands or Dynabands) in my prenatal classes rather than free weights. They are a little bit more joint friendly, and it's easy to change your resistance level (by lengthening or shortening the bands) in mid-exercise.

I have a 33 lb. two-year old, so I know what you mean about being told not to lift heavier weights... how do you avoid it?? I do have to say, though, that it's been helpful to get my son to walk as much as possible. Physically, I have no problem lifting him, but this pregnancy I've had a lot of varicose veins pop up -- particularly in my groin and upper thigh area. They get really swollen if I have a day where I've carried my son more... so your OB may very well have that and other complications in mind. Cathe or Sheila could definitely give you more guidance on the weight lifting... but I'd definitely say that you should avoid any kind of straining at all... but really, you should be avoiding that anyway!

I think it's great that you've kept up a routine for 10 mos. and plan on continuing through your pregnancy. Prenatal exercise has been a lifesaver for me in both pregnancies... because for once it's all about health and feeling good, not about weight. One of the postpartum women in the prenatal/postpartum exercise class that I teach mentioned tonight that she exercised through her whole pregnancy, and she credited the exercise with the fact that she didn't have any back pain, and that she's had a relatively quick recovery after a c-section. She's 7 wks. postpartum, and she just had her OB visit, so this was her first class... but she said that she'd felt ready to get back for a few weeks.

I think that you'll find lots of answers to questions you have on this site... Cathe and Sheila and other instructors here are so knowledgable, and all of the women here are so friendly!!

Susan (33 weeks pregnant... yahoo! I can finally say that I'm due NEXT MONTH!!)
Healthy Moms Certified Perinatal Fitness Instructor