7 replies to this topic

[EMJRI]

I am looking for suggestions...

I am in the middle of an IVF cycle and I'm hopefully that it'll work. If it works I'm looking for health, good workout routes while I'm pregnant. Something that will not be harm to me or the baby.

I used to go to the gym twice a day, every day. Did that for about a year and then slowly cut it back. I'm not at the gym only 2 to 3 times a week.

If anyone has suggestions, I'm open to anything.
Thanks

[SueDumais]

I have an article that covers information on fitness for fertility. Here is a link where you can read and download the article for free. Most of my suggestions would include early pregnancy.
http://www.familypas...ve_Spring09.pdf

You can also look for a certified Pre & Post Natal Fitness Specialist or a class for prenatal fitness. The most important advice I can give you is to do what feels good, pay attention to how your body feels before, during and after you exercise and remember moderation is the key.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sue

[Kim2]

I did a certified prenatal fitness class called Fit 4 Two. I loved the class, it was a great workout and reassuring in the sense that I was never worried that I would be doing something that might harm me or the baby. It was also great because the exercises are geared toward targeting and strengthening areas that you'll need during labour and after your baby is born. The instructor was also really good at providing information during stretching and cool down times about pregnancy and childbirth.

I was also doing prenatal yoga from the beginning of my pregnancy and loved, loved that class but I started to get pelvic pain from everything loosening up due to pregnancy hormones and had to stop the yoga at about 17 weeks. I also probably overdid it in yoga and gave myself a ligament injury so if you do yoga, just be gentle with your body :-)

Best of luck to you in your upcoming cycle!!

[tabby]

I walked every day throughout my pregnancy. I also did prenatal yoga and loved it. I went to the gym maybe twice in the about three weeks between the end of fatigue/nausea and the start of showing. (You may discover that you want to do less than you anticipate.)

[Linda Albert]

Regularly practicing exercise during pregnancy is the best way to build your bones, muscles, and to boost your energy levels to keep yourself healthy. but you have to take doctor permission before proceeding why because that is totally depend on your baby growth and health.

[Curly-K]

Hi Emily,

My husband and I also go to the gym every day. We are avid weight lifters and live a very healthy style.We have been doing this for over 10 years. Does anyone know if lifting weights could cause miscarriage or harm while pregnant. I can't really seem to find a set answer.

[LLJ]

I have an article that covers information on fitness for fertility. Here is a link where you can read and download the article for free. Most of my suggestions would include early pregnancy. http://www.familypas...ve_Spring09.pdf You can also look for a certified Pre & Post Natal Fitness Specialist or a class for prenatal fitness. The most important advice I can give you is to do what feels good, pay attention to how your body feels before, during and after you exercise and remember moderation is the key. Let me know if you have any other questions. Sue

I'll preface this by saying I mean no disrespect with these comments, and I do not claim to be an expert, but I take issue with some of the things I read in this article. This article "could" be useful for someone who is for the most part inactive, but it has no relevance to athletes or someone who is already very active - in fact it could be perceived as discouraging to those who are very fit. In addition, it does contain statements which I believe are oversimplified. For example, merely participating in a gym "Bootcamp" class is unlikely to interfere with your menstrual cycle absent of other factors such as extreme dieting. I am an athlete and have competed in fitness competitions and despite weight lifting and exercising sometimes 1.5-2 hrs a day, my cycle was never interrupted until my weight/body fat reached a very low level (required for competition) and similar results were experienced by other competitors as well. I find your statements regarding exercise to be short sighted and have the potential to promote fear if it is not qualified that those who are very active do not necessarily have to abandon their fitness habits and be satisfied with walking and yoga. Classifying walking as adequate cardiovascular activity and body weight only resistance training 1-2 times a week would certainly NOT be reasonable for someone like myself. I am certainly not advocating that someone who is never been active all of a sudden start a vigorous training program when pregnant, but for those who are very active pre-pregnancy, there are more relevant indicators such as heartrate and temperature to safely monitor your activity. Exercise not only contributes to a healthy weight it is also a proven stress reliever - 2 factors which positively contribute to fertility and wellness. In addition, being physically fit and STRONG lessens the physical stress of childbirth on the woman and positively affects the ability to "bounce back" after the birth. I apologize if this is a bit of a rant, but there are a lot of misconceptions out there. While I understand that not all pregnancies are absent of risk and complications, many are, and if you're feeling good, and healthy, you can be safe without drastically altering your routine.

[SueDumais]

Thank LLJ for sharing your thoughts on my article! I respect your opinion and agree the article is written for those who are just starting out or who have noticed changes in their mentrual cycle due to certain exercises. I have worked with many women over the last 6 years and some I encouraged to continue their training program and others I help them tweak it. There is no one recipe that fits everyone, hence the challenge in writing an article that will fit for everyone. That is why I suggest consulting a trainer for more specific advice. The most important thing I encourage every woman to do is follow their intuition and listen to their body.

The research may sound negative but I believe it is important for women to make an informed choice. Thank you for bringing the languaging and your perception of the article to my attention. This article is from 2009 and I just re-read it now. Would I write it differently today by using more encouraging language? Absolutely.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with me.