sheila or tchrsue/simple question

J

jeffsmom

Active Member
Hi everyone. Well I have 10 weeks to go and I am still working out. I have been lurking this forum but haven't posted for awhile.

A couple simple questions: (Not really needing advice, just reassurance maybe?)

I am getting 3 to 4 workouts in a week. One weight training, two cardio, and one a combo. The cardio sessions have to be the 1/2 hour segments from Cross/Express or a Firm of some sort for 45 minutes or so. Weight is Power Hour, MIS, or Super Sculpting (Firm) with mods of course on all. I do not workout two days in a row; I need the rest. I feel like I could work harder, (heartrate wise) but the impact and my belly say 'no.' I also have gone down in weight, but only a tiny bit. Am I still alright to go like this? I know listen to your body is major and I think I am; but I put on weight so easily that cutting back on workouts scares me a bit. (70 lbs with #1; took it all off, so far 24 with this one and I am 30 weeks. 36 years old.) Any thoughts? How about abs? I am still comfortable on an incline or even on my back for a short time doing abs...is this OK or should I stop? I certainly cannot make it all the way through abs anymore, but I do some and even planks on my knees for a very short bit. No back pain at this point and I credit abs and planks for that.

I would just like a little input from the experts. Getting excited but want to stay fit and safe. (I am looking forward to a good 4 to 6 weeks off postpartum though...I must say!) Thanks...

Becky
 
Hi Becky,

It won't be long now. You are doing great. If you are truly listening to your body and you feel fine, then what you are doing is okay. How long are you staying on your back while doing abs? I know that there is conflicting information out there on various websites and in different pregnancy books regarding supine (on your back) exercise. Again, the most current version of the ACOG Guidelines (2002) still say avoid supine exercise as much as possible after the first trimester. There are so many different ways of working your abdominals without being supine. Have you ever used the Resistaball for core strength? It is a wonderful training as well as comfort tool for pregnant women. Just sitting on it to watch TV or while working at a desk actually works the core muscles as they are required for stabilization while you are on the ball. I have used them with my pregnant clients for many years now and have not found any other prop to be as effective in maintaining core strength during pregnancy.

Keep us informed.

Sheila

Sheila S. Watkins, MLSci.
Founder and National Program Director
Healthy Moms(R) Fitness
 
Thanks for the reassurance. The resistaball is something I have been thinking about and maybe on one of my Christmas shopping trips (HAVE to get that done soon...baby's coming) I will pick one up.

I will continue then and trust myself. Thanks!
 
It sounds like you are doing great!

I don't have much to add to what Sheila said except to say that pregnancy is an excellent time to get your head in the right place about exercise. So often we women are sooooo hard on ourselves! If we take that into pregnancy, we hang on every calorie and primarily view the weight gain as a negative instead of realizing that, if we are exercising, we are doing a great thing for ourselves and for the baby we are growing inside of us!

I've often mentioned that I took off what I felt were phenomenal amounts of pregnancy weight in just a few months after my pregnancy. I had nice big babies -- 9 lbs. 2 oz & 9 lbs. 6 oz. -- according to my OBs, I had big placentas (ahhh! all of that nice oxygen from exercising helped to create those, thank you very much! :)), I had good muscle tone from my continued exercise which helped my postpartum metabolism(and, yes, I did take it down as my pregnancies progressed... heck, you have a big ol' baby weight plate by the end!), and, yes, surely some of it was water (although I didn't feel very swollen at the time).

So, I guess what I'm saying is to do your best... listen to your body... and keep telling yourself, "It's all good!" :0)

Oh... and as for abs... just something to thing about... with #1 I could always lie on my back when I slept with no problem. With #2, if I rolled onto my back, I'd wake up with numb fingers and toes and feel like I couldn't breathe. Some women in some pregnancies can lie on their backs -- some cannot! Play it safe, listen to your body, and perhaps take more freqent rests between sets. Using a head-up incline is a better option for many pregnant women... if that gets uncomfortable, it won't hurt to take it down again. You can even just do "navel to the spine" presses while sitting or standing... and if you get a stability ball like Sheila suggests, you can even press your back into it while you contract (put the ball against a wall or your couch).

Again... it's all good :)
Susan
 
it's a good labor tool, too!

When you sit on a stability ball, you pretty much have to keep your spine in alignment and your feet in a comfortably wide stance to balance...

Many women like the ball during labor and say that rocking on it helps with back labor... esp. when paired with counter-pressure from their partner.

Sheila can probably fill you in more... she's definitely an expert on stability balls!!
Susan
 
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