Workouts for during pregnancy and after????

[blonde ambition]

Hi everyone!! I'm new here, and I'm still relatively new to Cathe!

DH & I are planning on trying to conceive in the near future. The women in my family tend to put on a lot of weight during pregnancy, and not many of them have taken it off afterwards. I don't want to be like them!!

I am currently only 5'2", 117 lbs. My biological clock is ticking in my ear, but I'm also terrified of losing who I am now. I firmly believe that I have the ability to get back to the size I am now after I have a baby. The question is, how do I do it???

What does Cathe (or any of you other wonderful, wise women) recommend??? What workouts should I do while pregnant??? Does she have any pregnancy rotations?? What about after the birth?? How do I get back to my old self fast??? Does she have rotations for that?? I'm open to plans that include her workouts or anyone else's that give good results!! Any suggestions would be wonderful!!

Thanks!!
Melanie

 

[shopaholic]

I am currently 6 months pregnant. As of last doctor's visit last month had gained 10 pounds, right what I feel I should. I have been alternating firm strength tapes and low impact aerobics. My favorites so far have been Gay Gasper's 2 Jammin workouts and recently Gay Gaspers's 2 jammin workouts(step and strike section has a participant who is 6 months pregnant, Cathe's wedding tape and my firms mainly firm strength/firm cardio, body sculpt, tough tape 2 and standing legs rotated with firm upper body. Good luck conceiving.

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Melanie! I saw your post on the "Ask Cathe" forum as well, and thought I might "find" you over here!

Keep in mind that I'm a "non-mom" (never been pregnant; childless by choice), but I wanted to suggest to you, and to others who want a full range of options for working out during pregnancy, that pool-based workouts can be a great addition for you.

Swimming, aqua jogging, and water aerobics are all good for maintaining good cardiovascular conditioning during pregnancy, and have the added benefits of water buoyancy and water's cooling effect. Those benefits can be considerable, given the increased weight of the baby and the increased blood volume etc. that the pregnant woman experiences, as well as the increased core temperature that the mother experiences. While I would not advocate doing a strictly water-based workout program during pregnancy unless you've been advised by your doctor against any weight-bearing work, water does indeed provide a good cross-training environment.

A club facility where I teach aqua aerobics has a runner's program, and I remember a tiny little peanut of a woman (probably your height) who was a runner and as pregnant as could be. Throughout the later stages of her pregnancy, and indeed right up until the day before she delivered, she aqua-jogged faithfully every day for about an hour, and also fit in judicious total-body strength training 2-3 times per week. She told me how good it felt to move vigorously in the water while at the same time having the weight of the baby taken off her back, from the water's buoyancy. She ran a half marathon 7 weeks after delivery. (Don't know if that was THE best idea, but she's as healthy as a horse.)

Just a suggestion or two. Good for you for keeping fitness a value during pregnancy! Good luck

A-jock

 

[briee]

Hi Melanie, For being a non mom, Ajock has some wonderful suggestions and she can also tell you what to do with the little trouper after he/she is born - ie triceps baby presses, baby lunges, etc.....there is a thread out there regarding these exercises!! :7 :7 :7

I just want to encourage you that you can stay in shape and you don't need to lose your body (check out Cathe's story-access through her home page) I just love to look at her before and after pictures.

I've had four pregnancies where I didn't workout and gained 60 pounds and never lost all the weight and wouldn't have except (oh my, fathom this) I started to exercise and get in shape. Of everything that I did, strength training has helped the most (and cardio is an important element as well). With baby number 5, I started to lift weights in the 6th month of pregnancy and haven't quit since. I'm now pregnant with baby number 6 and continue to do Cathe workouts and don't plan to alter the intensity until absolutely necessary. With the first four I looked 6 months pregnant by the second month (gained 30 pounds by month 4) With the last baby, I hardly felt pregnant. It can be done, and I have gone back to prepregnancy size between baby 5 and baby 6. There really aren't a lot of changes you need to make while pregnant except obvious ones, your body will let you know, trust me!

And we'll be here to encourage you!!!! Just keep us posted!! (And to add, swimming is really fun while pregnant, I took the kids to a water park when 3 weeks overdue with baby number 3 and went down the water slides with them - hoping it would get labor going!! I don't think ajock was referring to this type of water activity, but it was fun nonetheless)

Briee

 

[Aquajock]

Briee is absolutely correct: you can indeed turn your new little munchkin into an all-purpose home-gym. The little creature has so much variety: weight vest; faux medicine ball for core work; destination for push-ups (lay Munchkin face-up on the floor, position yourself over her, and with each lowering phase of the push-up give her a kiss, alternating cheeks for good balance of load between each shoulder), and my personal favorite: the Hug-Bug - 10 sets 16 reps each Munchkin hugs (works the pecs).

Again, good luck!

A-jock

 

[blonde ambition]

Wow!! Thanks for all of your responses!!

I'll keep you posted once DH & I officially start trying. We leave for vacation on Saturday....hopefully our last "just the two of us" trip, and then the pressure is on!! Baby-making time!!

Melanie

 

[Aquajock]

RE: Melanie - re babymaking . . .

It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

*you go, girl*

A-jock
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[MichellePfromOhio]

RE: Melanie - re babymaking . . .

Here is my story....baby number 1-walked a little bit maybe 2 times a week and sometimes someone would go pick the car up so I could get a ride home LOL Bad backaches, felt miserable the last 6 weeks and out of breath.
Baby number 2-did light aerobics around 4 times a week. Very light. Felt pretty good the entire pregnancy but did get a little miserable at the end and back hurt a little.
Baby number 3- I was already into the FIRM and ended up purchasing Cathe tapes(thank god) and would do her tapes on the floor until I mastered the moves and then I added in the step. The first 3 months I was too tired to workout but after that I worked all the way up to delivery. Besides my big belly I didn't feel pregnant. I had energy in the end, no backache and could keep up with 2 boys one who which was still a baby basically. This was the best pregnancy and came 8 years later after the first pregnancy.
SO goes to show you at least in my case that keeping active helped me out alot.
Just modify modify modify. And rest when you don't have the energy. What an exciting time for you! Good luck!!!!!
Michelle