How long can you keep doing advanced excercising?

[kellyk]

Are advanced workouts safe while pregnant? If so, for how long? Should you ease up on weights and cut back on step & cardio immediately?
Is sweating buckets bad and heavy breathing bad?
Are around the house landscaping projects okay to do? (Cutting the lawn, mulching, planting shrubs...?)
What about household cleaning products, is it okay to inhale the chemicals, like bleach?

 

[shopaholic]

I did advanced workouts up til the end of my pregnancy but began modifying at about 20 weeks, doing minimal suppine work and lowering impact. I also lowered poundage slightly. Yard work should be fine but listen to your body if you are pregnant. Avoid chemicals if possible but I know I cleaned til the end of my pregnancy.

 

[kellyk]

Thanks for your response. It's motivating to hear how long you worked out. I just don't want to do any damage while working hard.

 

[shopaholic]

When are you due? I worked out til the day I delivered. I actually had more energy than I would thought. I was able to use my cathes primarily wedding tape and did the firm but did no high impact after the 1st trimester. Listen to your body but new pregnancy guidelines are much more lax than years prior.

 

[EricaH]

I did advanced workouts throughout my pregnancy - the only time I really cut back a lot was in my first trimester because I would get fatigued and breathless quickly. I eventually cut back on my weights about 20%, lowered my step from 8" to 6", did run/walks instead of straight running, etc. Definitely talk to your doctor and listen to your body.

You don't want to be anaerobic while you're pregnant - breathing heavily is ok, breathless is not. Make sure that you stay very hydrated and don't get overheated.

If you search through the threads on this forum, you should find lots of helpful information on exercising during pregnancy.

Good luck.

Erica

 

[kristi]

I agree with everyone's advice here to listen to your body. You will know when you need to take the intensity down a notch or when to lower the weight. I would not increase weight though because your body releases some kind of hormone while pregnany that makes your muscles more limber and you could get injured. (I read that a couple of years ago in some book while I was pregnant so my details may not be totally accurate.)

I was able to continue my normal activities, but try to stay away from inhaling chemicals while cleaning. When I was 39 weeks along I was still push mowing the grass, which takes an hour just to mow the back yard. Everyone in our neighborhood was asking me, "You can do that while you are pregnant?". Too funny, to think that just because you are pregnant you can't do anything besides sit around all day. Obviously they have not met any Catheites. The doctor told me that exercise would help increase my odds of going into labor sooner. From the beginning of my last month before I was due, I was 3 cm dilated and my son still was not ready to make an appearance until the doctor induced me.