Exercise during early pg

Hi everyone.  I'm just wondering what form of excercise you are currently doing while pregnant and if you toned it down a bit? 

This is my 2nd pregnancy and I'm planning on continuing classes (unlike my 1st pg) but am wondering if I should modify it a bit or continue as I am?  I currently do classes such as one-on-one boxing, ABT, spin, zumba and the occasional run. 

I'm only just over 4wks pg, so its still early days, but do I just continue at my current level.  I'm just have this fear for some reason that it'll be too much for the growing bubby. 

I'm off to see my GP today so I'll double check with her also.

Many thanks

I'm pretty sure that if you're already exercising you can continue what you're doing, but you shouldn't start a new programme if you haven't been exercising before. A friend of mine was doing combat classes until she was 30+ weeks I think! Just make sure you have enough water and don't overheat

Just wanted to add that (as a gym junkie for 15+ years) I'm still doing pump classes every week but stopped doing RPM as soon as I found out I was UTD as I get too hot. Have swapped that and step classes (too much jumping around!) for more cardio work on the treadmill and cross trainer, and preggy yoga helps stretch all those well-used muscles! I also stopped doing abdominal exercises sometime in early 2nd trimester as it just didn't feel right with the growing bump.

I second the "drink lots of water and don't overheat" comment, and I read somewhere you're not supposed to get your HR above 140 bpm while pregnant, so I keep an eye on that too when I'm on the cardio equipment. I've just found if I listen to my body it tells me when to slow it down a bit!

Congrats and here's to a happy healthy pregnancy!

I believe its recommended that pregnant woman do exercise even if they didnt before - just for example it would be ok to start walking but not ok to start running. I would imagine a light zumba DVD would be ok but don't quote me, i'm not a doctor or a fitness instructor! But i think if you are going slow, you're not getting hot or out of breath or sweating then its probably all good.

The other thing i forgot to saw was as you get more prego and your joints start relaxing and your balance shifts you are at greater risk of injury so thats something to remember/be careful off as well but not something that would come up until 2nd tri i guess.

I have always been active and when I asked my doctor & midwife about the level of exercise I should be doing I pretty much got a the routine "exercise is good, continue doing it, drink heaps and keep bmp below 140".

So I decided to do a little research of my own and since I was studying at the time I had access to overseas medical research. Pretty much they all said the same, this is a time of maintenance not to suddenly start on a 'get fit fast' program. I think this is where the recommendation to not start a program comes from. In truth exercise is good to start at any time, but start out easy.

The people I found best to talk to were the trainers at the gym. They certainly had a better idea of what I should be doing, and it does change as you progress. I found at each trimester I had to modify something due to it causing discomfort, or just getting tired faster.

And what was I doing? When I found out I was pregnant I was doing 90min weights or cardio programs 6 times a week, and the occasional Spin or Step class as the mood struck me. This changed to 60min workouts in the second trimester and I now do 40 min either on the bike or cross trainer or 60 min swimming. A couple of friends were doing a pump class, with modifications they continued attending this until around 30 weeks.

I exercised until ms kicked in and then picked it up again in the 3rd tri as that was when i started feeling good again.

Just make sure you don't get too hot is all my mw said and not to start anything different to what I had already been doing.

But take care cause 2nd/3rd time around things loosen up and stretch alot quicker, don't wanna injure yourself!

cool! Im going to look at that link, last month I ran a half marathon and did half of lake Taupo so I really want to maintain to some degree my level of fitness since with my pregnancy with Jayden I gained over 30kg! Im hoping the weeks off with my foot injury wont have to much impact on my fitness level

I would be very very interested in seeing those studies as i have neither heard, read or been advised anything of the kind and am incredibly active and outdoorsy. I was very careful to research what i did and wouldnt have done it if that were the case.

Not saying you're wrong, just saying i would like to read about it myself before i freaked out too much.