New Member...New BABY

[Ann1]

Greetings Cathe/Sheila,
First want to thank you for the access and provision of such an informative website and list. I am thrilled to have found it! Perfect timing, too....just found out last week that I am 6 wks. pregnant (first baby)! I am a seasoned exercise enthusiast but, a retired runner due to injury. I wanted to find a work-out comparable to the fat/cal expenditure running provides. I have resorted to the FIRM series, walking, and the elliptical for the past few years, not really what I was looking for....and then I 'met' Cathe! Just bought my first video---Interval Max. Loved it!! Had to modify a little though and have some questions hoping you could answer...

1. Would love your video suggestions for the journey I am about to embark on...Pregancy, of course As much cardio as allowable...baby first! Is Interval Max a good video to get me going (pregnant and all?)

2. Interval Max had some quite a few intervals that had jumping...is/will this type of movement be harmful to the little one?

3. Cut my days down from 7 to 5....cut the intensity down alot (pre-pregnancy was stairclimbing on the hardest level, or treadmilling on the deepest incline...lived by 'more is better' Now, my body is saying..."Yoo-hooo, baby aboard. Any other suggestions with my routine to consider. Have been alternating strength and cardio with FIRM tapes, too.

4. I don't want to get fatter than I have, too. Baby first...Baby first.... No, question here....just reminding myself of my new-found philosophy phrase

Thanks for your time, expertise, and help.
Your new fan
Ann

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Ann! Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your pregnancy. We're all happy to help you in any way that we can during this special time.

Before I go into your questions, I think it is important that you are aware of the following guidelines. I will print a response that Sheila has posted in the past.

"....In 1994 the American College of Obstretrics and Gynecology (ACOG) changed their guidelines regarding measuring exercise intensity during pregnancy. THEY ELIMINATED THE ORIGINAL 140 MAXIMUM HEARTRATE GUIDELINE ISSUED IN 1985!!!!!!!! (ACOG Bulletin #189, Feb 4, 1994). Human research had proven that taking one's heartrate was not a valid indicator of intensity during pregnancy due to the dramatic physiological changes in both the cardiovascular and respiratory system during this time. Two very valid ways of measuring exercise intensity during pregnancy are"Perceived Exertion" (i.e. on a scale of 1-10 if 1 is lying in bed and 10 is running up the Washington Monument with twins on your back) you want to be working at a 5-6 which correlated to "fairly light to somewhat hard." Research on very fit pregnant moms has shown that they can take it up "one more notch" to "hard." This as long as you listen to your body and make sure that you are drinking a lot while working out.) and the "Talk Test," which I like the best. If you can say sentences that are 2-5 words in length while working out, you are okay and the baby is getting adequate oxygen."



As for your question regarding Interval Max, since it is important that you never allow yourself to get to the point where you are gasping for air while working out(while pregnant), interval workouts are discouraged during pregnancy. I'll explain....the purpose of interval workouts is to improve your fitness level by pushing yourself extremely hard and training at intensity levels that take you to your anaerobic threshold. These workouts push you way beyond maintenance, which is not advisable during pregnancy. During pregnancy you always want to strive to maintain your current level of fitness and then eventually modify moves as your body becomes uncomfortable with certain movements.

It is very important that you ALWAYS stay hydrated and listen to your body for ANY discomfort while exercising.

As for weight training, I will post my response to another pregnant mom who asked the same question.



"....You should be fine continuing with strength training throughout the duration of your pregnancy as long as you note the following:

At this early stage in your pregnacy, your strength training workouts are fine to do as usual. My only suggestion is that you go for strength maintenance and NOT try to lift heavier than usual weight at this time. The main two reasons for this are 1) You don't want to work in a very high heart rate zone, which can happen when lifting heavy weight. 2) You want to be be careful to not over stress your joints and ligaments since they gradually become softer and softer as your pregnancy progresses(due to relaxin hormone). By the way, this softening process is very normal and is the body's way of naturally preparing for childbirth. As a matter of fact, toward the end of your pregnancy you may find yourself having to lift even lighter weight since your balance and joint stability will have altered quite a bit.

I would also strongly recommend that you begin to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by doing kegel(internal contraction) exercises throughout your pregnancy(even forever after is great). This will not only help to keep you from leaking urine when you sneeze, cough, or jump (since the baby puts more pressure on your bladder as he/she grows), but will keep your pelvic floor stronger overall(a big plus) since it will become stressed from holding the weight of the baby.

As you get into your fourth month of pregnany, it is no longer recommended that you work flat on your back. For this reason all flat bench work (ex. bench presses) should be done in an incline position and abdominal work is recommended in an all fours position. I'll provide you with ab examples if you need them.

As you end your second trimester and enter your third, you may find your center of gravity shifting, causing you to be a bit off balance at times. During these times, you may have to be more creative finding more comfortable positions to do certain exercises(or eliminating them altogether, if no safe modification is available, until after the baby comes). This is the time to especially take advantage of that spotter if you have one available.

You can continue to exercise right to the end of your pregnancy(of course, modifying more and more as you get closer to the end)as long as you are having no complications."

Good Luck and big happy hugs to you Ann! If you have any further questions, just let us know!

 

[lynn]

Hi Ann-
I wanted to extend my congratulations to you in regard to your pregnancy.. I am about 12 weeks into my first, too.. I am pretty much in the same boat as you..avid exerciser with all of the same concerns. You will find this forum a great place for motivation, compassion, and information. Glad to have you on board!!!
Lynn

 

[arogerson]

I just had my 3rd baby, I ran until I was 8 mo's and did Cathe tapes all the way through. However, Interval Max is way too intense for a preggers mom. You may want to check out other Cathe tapes that do not have intervals. One of my favorites is Body Max. You can modify your workout as your pregnancy progresses. This tape will provide you with a total body workout. Cathe's earlier step tapes are all pretty intense (if you want a good workout) and can be easily modified as well. Best of luck to you. You will be undergoing some pretty intense changes but keeping up with exercise will make you feel great. Just remember that perceived exertion test. If you are an avid exerciser, you are probably well tuned into your body and you will know how much is too much.