Pregnant: Could I? Should I?

I have been wanting to do a pregnancy and working out post for a while now. But it seems a little daunting to write about. It's so complicated. If there is one thing in life that makes you crazy because there are only a few absolutes...it's pregnancy. Every one is different. Every body is different. Every weight gain is different. Every heart rate, heartburn, muscle cramp, bruised pubic bone, aching back, swollen ankles, placenta, etc., etc., etc. is different from woman to woman. Whew. Makes your head spin, huh?

So, let's start here. Can I work out pregnant? Yes. Infact, it's recommended. Here's the thing, did you work out before? If so, you can continue your regimen up to a point. Excercise is good for a lot of things. Read this. One thing you hear from your dr. is generally not to get your heartrate above 140. That is a debatable HR goal. I for one, cannot do much of anything without my HR soaring. When I teach Turbokick {not pregnant}, I am usually at 163 by the time I am done with warm up! I think you have to talk to your dr. and know your own body. I will say, the beauty of pregnancy is knowing that "you know when you know" to stop. I taught and did Turbokick most of both of my pregnancies. I stopped with Tristan at about 28 weeks and with Reese Elaine at about 33 weeks. With REW, I had a bruised pubic bone and knew the knees and kicks were no longer going to work! I stopped jogging at about 26 weeks with her. I was far more cautious with Tristan. I would also recommend weights. Hear me out though, not body building! Body shaping group classes are good. You can modify as you need to. A huge rule of thumb is to NOT START anything you were not previously doing before pregnancy and to modify anything you are usually doing as needed. This worked great for me. Make you to talk to your Dr. though. There are some conditions that you will have to be aware of. Especially the ones that require bedrest.

If you have not been working out, you can most definitely start to! You need to keep your muscles toned, your heart pumping and your blood flow going! Walking is the most recommended exercise! You can really modify it in so many ways! Treadmill or outside, it really doesn't matter. Make sure you have some good shoes! Also, prenatal yoga and swimming are GREAT! I took a water aerobics class 3 days a week after work with my bestie when we were preggo with our first. It was hilarious, but oh my, it felt AMAZING! So, get in the water for sure!!

Things to avoid:
Skiing
Horseback riding
Dance {spins}
Ab work {after 1st trimester}
Skating
Contact sports {basketball, football, soccer}

I love www.FitPregnancy.com for tips and workouts. You can find their magazines in the grocery store. Whew! There is soooo much more to write, but I will keep it simple for now! Questions? Email me at thecardiojunkies@yahoo.com