Hi! I am about 14 weeks and been concerned about modifications as well. Below is info I read on past postings. The first one is from Cathe. I hope this helps. I also read that all of people feel comfortable doing the xpress series throughout their pregnancy.
From Cathe
Before I get into your questions, I just wanted to say that the overall fitness concern during your pregnancy is that you simply maintain your fitness level and scale back as you get further into your pregnancy. This is NOT the time to push yourself to accomplish new goals or fitness levels (which I can see from your post that you are not doing, good for you!).
During the first trimester the main change in your workouts is that you do not get your heart rate up super high (gasping for breath), which will also remain one of your priorities for the duration of your pregnancy. Sheila, our prenatal expert, and myself, who has been certified by Sheila, recommend that you use the talk test and/or perceived exertion test rather than a heart rate monitor or chart because your heart rate is already naturally elevated when you are pregnant therefore heart rate charts and monitors providing you with a false indication of your actual intensity. Your goal should be to say 2 to 5 word sentences at all times during your workout. How many days you workout will vary on your energy level. While you are pregnant, especially in your first trimester, you may feel nauseous, tired, and unmotivated all contributing to just how many days you actually do and/or how hard you workout per day. But the overall concern here is to listen to your body day by day and only do what your body is telling you it can do each day. If it says "no workout today" then take the day off. You may have a spell where you need a week off, you just never know.
Also, impact should be reduced as you get further along because your pelvic floor will be stressed and ligaments in the pelvic area extremely stretched to support the weight of the baby. This is the time to point out how important it is for you to do kegals constantly, anytime, anywhere! Intricate choreography should be done with extreme caution (or even eliminated)as you get into the further stages of your pregnancy since your center of gravity will change causing you to potentially lose your balance.
SIDE NOTE: I should also point out that ACOG has revised their guidelines in 1994 stating that is is now okay for a woman to get their heart rate above 140 while working out. They too recommend using a perceived exertion test to monitor your intensity level. I mention this to you since you will still find many people unaware of this change.
As for your weight training, you should be fine continuing with this until it just naturally becomes uncomfortable for you. You certainly can use heavier than 5 pounds if this is what you have normally done. The main concern is to not be flat on your back after 12 weeks and to be aware that a hormone relaxin in now in your body. Relaxin naturally softens the bones, ligaments, and joints to prepare your body for child birth. Many experience the effects of this much more than others. In any case, as long as this hormone is present in your body, you should not be pushing your self to do extreme weight because your support system is not what is usually is. I kept doing my usual weight until suddenly one day I started to just feel that my usual weight was a struggle and/or I would feel unusual pulls or clicking sounds in my body while doing a certain exercise. All flat back exercises such as bench press, crunches, etc. should be done on an incline after 12 weeks as to not reduce the circulation that goes to the baby. Other exercises should always be done with caution and your body should always be supported. For instance if you are leaning over to do tricep kickbacks, have one arm (and possibly even your leg too) up on a bench to support your weight and give you back support. Exercises such as planks, leg raises, and push ups should be done at your discretion. I would STRONGLY suggest the modified bent knee versions of planks and push ups because they are very demanding poses to your lower back. Eventually when your belly gets very big you yourself will come to the realization that these exercises are simply not doable anymore. At that point, eliminate planks, if you haven't already, and do your ab work on all fours where you will have the baby weight to use as your resistance. Push ups can be done against the wall at this point. Long lever moves such as leg raises will most likely just be too uncomfortable due to balance issues and your pelvic area being very sensitive at this time. Remember, the relaxin in your body is softening your joints therefore weakening your support system to some degree.
As for your ab crunches, as I mentioned you can do it on an incline even though it IS a bit easier this way (but safer for baby). The all fours position will not do very much at this point but when your belly gets very big, you will have a nice "ball" to use for resistance.
From Susan Hyde
Prenatal exercise is HIGHLY individualized... so my first advice to you is to listen to your body.
That being said, kickboxing is perhaps the worst choice for pregnant women after about the first trimester. You have increased amounts of a hormone called relaxin in your system... it allows the muscles and connective tissue in your tummy and pelvic region to spread to make room for the baby, but it is non specific, so it is also in your knees, ankles, elbows, etc. With all of the sharp thrusting movements/kicks that are central to kickboxing routines, you could easily find yourself with a joint injury. BTW, you may have elevated amounts of this hormone for as long as 4 mos. postpartum. IMHO, better safe than sorry... if you hurt your knees, you may find that you can't exercise at all, and may even have problems after the pregnancy is over!
If you choose any sort of high impact routine, be aware of your pelvic floor... if at any time during your pregnancy, you find yourself tinkling during high impact moves, you should take it down. Think of your kegel muscles as a trampoline with your bladder, bowels, & growing uterus all sitting on top... if that trampoline is weak and gets overstretched but you keep jumping on it, it's only going to get in worse stretch. Not to worry, though, you have a growing weight plate, so your workload is increasing throughout your pregnancy, and should you need to take it down, you will be able to get a great workout choosing low impact variations. BTW, I wrote an article on pelvic floor rehabilitation that was in the October issue of Pregnancy Magazine...
If you choose a step routine, be aware that your hip flexors may be tightening as you become more pregnant. Spend more time warming up and stretching these muscles. Also, with their changing body, pregnant women often lack kinesthetic awareness; thus, you need to be more careful than usual not to fall (and, remember, all of that relaxin in your joints makes you more prone to sprains).
As for weights, you'll be doing your back and body a favor if you stop the unsupported moves as you start to show. Things like rows may be done on a bench (get your back straight!) if you are very careful -- although now is not the time to increase your weights.
Squats are fine (in fact, they are good preparation for natural childbirth... where many women find that squatting helps in the pushing stages of labor), although plie squats cause some women pelvic discomfort. In my prenatal exercise classes, I have my moms do their squats against a stability ball (placed against the wall). It saves them some strain on their knees.
Some women can do amazing feats with their ab work while they are pregnant. I always found that my belly was in the way. Supine work should be kept to a minimum, as the weight of your growing uterus can cut off blood flow to you and the baby(but don't worry... you'll know it if you've done it... you'll feel numbness, heart palpatations, or lose your breath). If by incline work, you mean elevating your head, then, yes, by all means. If you mean head down pelvic lifts or crunches, then no, no, no! :0) Other great alternatives as you get bigger are to do belly breathing exercises wherein you take a deep breath and then blow out, taking your navel to your spine as you do so. You can also go on all fours and contract your navel to your spine (keep your back straight... isolate your abs rather than cranking your pelvis)... the exercise requires concentration, but you get a decent ab workout using your baby as your weightplate. You can also do abdominal contractions into a stability ball or pillows that are placed between you and a wall or couch. Ab work is very important during pregnancy -- strong abs are at the heart of efficient pushing -- but sometimes you have to be creative in order to get them worked! (BTW... I also had an article on this subject in the October Pregnancy Magazine...)
The best advice I can give during pregnancy is to always have an alternative exercise sort of waiting in the wings... then you never get discouraged and quit altogether. For me in my last pregnancy, I continued running through my first trimester. I did step minus the power moves until almost 7 mos. pregnant. I taught prenatal (low impact) classes until about 36 wks. I did the elliptical trainer until about that same time. I swam up until the last two weeks of my pregnancy... at that point I found that swimming was exhausting me rather than energizing me, so I stopped altogether. (That, by the way, is a good indicator as to whether you are doing too much -- in pregnancy, you don't want to exercise to exhaustion!) In my first pregnancy, I exercise until the day before my due date and gave birth about 36 hours later... it all depends on how you are feeling.
I'm sure Sheila would have more specific hints, but she may be out of commision -- she tells me that she is sick with pneumonia :0( Hope this helps!
Susan Hyde
Healthy Moms Certified Perinatal Fitness Instructor
