new exercise standards

[jenniferholmes]

Hi cathe or sheila,

I just found out that I am expecting my fourth child. I have exercised throughout all of my pregnacies, and taught aerobics through two of them... However I have not kept up with the current exercise standards for pregnancy. I have heard that as long as you feel good, then it is alright.. and I was told that it is better to gage perceived exertion rather than your heart rate. Anyways, I was just wondering what your expert opinion was. I guess since I taught through 2 pregnancies and ran through most of my third, that my heart rate was well above 145!!!! Just getting all three (5, 4, 18months) out of the car can elevate your heart rate at times So it is so hard to understand why we need to keep our heart rate so low, when our bodies are preparing for the most strenuous(SP) workout we have ever had which is childbirth. Sorry to go on and on, but it all confuses me so much!!

Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Jennifer! Wow, a fourth child. Congratulations and best wishes.

As for the update, I will post a reponse from Sheila to someone else who asked the same question a while back. She mentions a book "Exercising Through Your Pregnancy", by James Clapp which seems to be out of circulation right now. We hear that he is in the process of writing a new book. None the less, you may still be able to find this book through some resources. If not, there is another good book called "Expecting Fitness" by Brigitta Gallo.

Good Luck and take care.

Cathe

Sheila wrote:

As for your question regarding heart rate ... My recommendation, also that of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, regarding measuring exercise intensity is the same as it was when you posted at 7 weeks. You should be using “perceived exertion” (working out at a level between “fairly light and somewhat hard”) and the “talk test” (2-5 word sentences) to measure your exercise intensity during your cardio activities. The 140 Guideline has been gone since February of 1994 after much research showed that heartrate was not a valid intensity indicator during pregnancy. I still recommend the book by James Clapp, III – “Exercising Through Your Pregnancy.” This is the most up to date book out there on the subject. It is unfortunate that there are still many books out there with antiquated information on this subject (i.e. the one that you found with the 110 heartrate in it!) You can get Dr. Clapp’s book at BUY.com on the internet for the same amount (including shipping) that you could buy it in your local store.

It is very important that you stay hydrated and listen to your body for ANY discomfort while exercising during both cardiovascular and strength training. You said that you stop when you are “gasping” while working with weights. You should not even get to that point while working out. You may need to drop the poundage or sets a bit to keep that from happening.
With these tips in mind, you can safely continue to work out. Give yourself permission to slow down if you need to. Remember, this is only a “season in your life.”

Sheila