Hoping to get pg

F

Fitnik

Cathlete
Hubby and I have decided to start trying for a baby and both feel it's the right decision.
This must sound vain but my biggest concern is the way this will affect my body shape - I am an advanced exerciser who runs and weight-trains regularly, am 5'10" and a UK size 12 (US 8) - I do not want to find, even 6 months after the baby, that I am still fat and untoned.
Can anyone recommend any good pregnancy work-outs for during the pregnancy? Cathe doesn't do any and the ones on the market seem basic and a complete waste of time. I hope no-one thinks I'm just plain vain but I would really struggle emotionally if I found I couldn't get back into shape after pregnancy.

Cathe, what did you do during your pregnancy and how long before you bounced back? How has your body changed since? Any advice from anyone would be much appreciated.
 
Have you been to Video Fitness?

There is a huge section at videofitness.com on pregnancy and fitness videos. There is even a section where someone gives specific modifications she did with Cathe's videos. People also give recommendations for non-pregnancy videos that they were able to use while pregnant.

Another thing to do is go out and get Birgitta Gallo's book "Expecting Fitness." It's a great resource for every possible concern with exercise during pregnancy, including how to modify various activities during pregnancy and things you can do if put on bed rest to prevent turning into a marshmellow any more than necessary. ;-)

Your body is going to be going through some amazing changes with pregnancy and childbirth. It can be scarey looking toward this special time, no knowing what to expect. Information is your ally. The more you find out now, the more relaxed and comfortable you'll be when that test comes back positive! And remember that there is always a great source of encouragement and support on this forum! :)

Erin
 
Don't fret!

I think you are just being honest. No matter how amazing and exciting pregnancy is (I'm 20 weeks), there is this little nagging fear in the back of your mind that worries about your body's recovery.

The BEST thing that you can do is to take control the best that you can. Eat as healthy as possible, drink lots of water and keep your exercise program going. Don't get me wrong, it's a tough road sometimes simply because of fatigue or morning sickness (that lasts all day) to do everything right...but you just do the best that you can and listen to your body.

I, too, found that pregnancy videos leave a lot to be desired. I've continued my workouts by modifying regular videos. I admit, Cathe is a little too advanced for me at this point, but I'm very fond of the FIRM series workouts and Karen Voight tapes. Most are easy to modify and they are still fun and effective. I've also taken to going for a short walk during my lunch break. It's a great way to relieve stress and get the blood flowing.

You will and must gain weight to make a beautiful baby and sure, sometimes it's a little unsettling to step on the scale...but you are already ahead of the game by PLANNING to stay in shape during the journey.

Best of luck. Hope to see your post soon telling us all some good news!!!!
 
RE: Don't fret!

Thanks so much for the helpful advice - I really appreciated the response !
Fingers crossed !
 
Hi Fitnik! Don't feel vain, I think it is just a natural thought that enters our minds at certain times before, during and after pregnancy.

The good news is that you can continue to cautiously do the same activities while pregnant that you are currently doing. The main thing is to never go anerobic during your workouts, stay ultra hydrated at all times (before, during, after workouts), and strive for maintaining, rather than improving, your fitness level during this time.

After about the four month mark, you also should no longer do ab work or any kind of work lying flat on your back (ie: no crunches, no bench presses), however you may do these exercises on an incline for very short periods.

After 5 months your center of gravity will most likely begin to shift and you will find yourself modifying your workouts more and more. Remember the pregnancy hormone relaxin is in your system and is responsible for softening your ligaments, bones, and tendons to help the baby ease through the birth canal. While this is a wonderful thing during birth, it is an issue that needs to be taken very seriously during activities. You should not work with heavy weight and better yet, work out with a spotter if at all possible to assist you in the handling of the weights. Any exercises such as kickboxing or impact activities will most likely have to be modified or eliminated because of how they stress the joints.

The overall best advice when pregnant is to take each workout day by day, use caution, stay hydrated, listen to your body, and be prepared to modify any and all workouts when your body gives you signals that its time. Pregnancy is a time to maintain and modify along the way. Never strive to break records or set fitness goals at this time.

This is exactly how I went about my workouts throughout my first pregnancy and will do the same this time around. After I delivered Eric, I took about 6 to 7 weeks off to bond with him. I started back slowly and by my 12th week was back into full action. After four months post delivery, I was feeling strong and pretty back to normal.

Good Luck to you!
 
Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to you.

You are not being vain at all. Nobody would think an athlete was vain if she worried about her perfomance being effected after having a baby. I think everyone worries about this. If it makes you feel better, I got in much better shape after my son was born than I was before he was born. I was 154 lbs when I got pregnant and managed to get down to 116 about a year after his birth. Now this was before I discovered weight training so I was really lean. My point is that if you're determined enough, you will get back into shape. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. You will be very tired some day's but that's part of motherhood. Of course, the more you exercise the better you feel :) Plus, you're already in great shape as it is which will really help you.

You might want to check out Stepping During Pregnancy over at collage video for a pregnancy stepping workout. It seems to be pretty popular. Right now, I'm just doing Cathe without any jumps at all. She still gets my heartrate up there (which increases anyway during pregnancy) and I sweat up a storm. If you are really familiar with Cathe's coreography, it's not hard to insert different moves during the high impact parts of her videos. Usually she builds you up to a high impact move so I just do the move before it. It gets hard sometimes when you know that doing a riochet would be a blast compaired to a knee-tap on the outside or repeater but you can really hurt yourself (thanks to the wonderful relaxin hormone...I know, I did it last pregnancy) if you don't modify.

Good luck to you and hope you get pregnant really soon :)


http://www.fitmomsonline.com/allisig1.gif
Mommy to Zachary, Jillian and Baby due February 24, 2002​
 
Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to you.

You are not being vain at all. Nobody would think an athlete was vain if she worried about her perfomance being effected after having a baby. I think everyone worries about this. If it makes you feel better, I got in much better shape after my son was born than I was before he was born. I was 154 lbs when I got pregnant and managed to get down to 116 about a year after his birth. Now this was before I discovered weight training so I was really lean. My point is that if you're determined enough, you will get back into shape. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. You will be very tired some day's but that's part of motherhood. Of course, the more you exercise the better you feel :) Plus, you're already in great shape as it is which will really help you.

You might want to check out Stepping During Pregnancy over at collage video for a pregnancy stepping workout. It seems to be pretty popular. Right now, I'm just doing Cathe without any jumps at all. She still gets my heartrate up there (which increases anyway during pregnancy) and I sweat up a storm. If you are really familiar with Cathe's coreography, it's not hard to insert different moves during the high impact parts of her videos. Usually she builds you up to a high impact move so I just do the move before it. It gets hard sometimes when you know that doing a riochet would be a blast compaired to a knee-tap on the outside or repeater but you can really hurt yourself (thanks to the wonderful relaxin hormone...I know, I did it last pregnancy) if you don't modify.

Good luck to you and hope you get pregnant really soon :)


http://www.fitmomsonline.com/allisig1.gif
Mommy to Zachary, Jillian and Baby due February 24, 2002​
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top