How Bad Is a Strenuous Exercise Routine?

You can still work out as long as it's within reason. Contact sports are out but you can still do cardio and weighlifting. Yoga is great to build up a sweat and work the muscles. Once you get bigger during your pregnancy, there are special yoga for pregnant women classes. I worked out until close to my due date by hiking. Eventually, your body will let you know that you need to decrease the intensity.

I talked to my doctor about that when I was pregnant, and there are a couple of considerations: 1)make sure your heartrate doesn't go above 140 bpm & don't let yourself get out of breath (both ensure your baby is getting enough oxygen) 2)you'll want to protect your stomach area for obvious reasons & 3) avoid activities where there is the potential to fall (I had to stop my aerial work).
I am a dancer and continued to run, kickbox, lift weights (moderately)& dance until it wasn't comfortable, but I followed those guidelines. I strongly recommend you consult w/your doctor. Good luck!
K.

From what I've read, it's good to do exercise. I had a spin (bike) instructor who taught her class from the time she got pregnant until about 2 months prior to having her baby. Although you may not want to do that or any other really strenuous exercise, maybe you could take up the stair master for cardio and some other light weights to keep toned. I think the key is to keep your heart rate under 160. I hope you find something you enjoy.

Ask your OBGYN - they can tell you what is appropriate while pregnant for your particular physical condition. Any advice you get here will be very general because no one knows your exact physical fitness the way your doctor will.

A.,

I found out during this same time of year that I was pregnant, however, this did not stop me from my regular activities, ie Snowboarding and Running. I continued to Snowboard (albeit I was banned from the terrian park) and continued to run, do the step class at the gym, I just listened to my body, you don't want to overdue but I think people use pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy. Healthy mom's have healthy babies. I probably wouldn't continue to do Karate because you can't guarantee that you won't fall wrong or be kicked wrong, but continue with the exercise. It will help you mentally (when the baby takes over and your body isn't your own) and physically (when you are done being pregnant you will bounce back quickly).
Just remember to LISTEN to your body. You CAN work up a good sweat and not endanger the baby. When I was about 7 month along I gave up running but continued with the step aerobics, I also took up swimming which did wonders to take the pressure off your back. If your unsure how to get a good workout by swimming check with you local pools and find out when there is a coach on deck with the "masters" swim team. Don't be put off by the "masters" it really just means adult swim.

My two bits.

Just adding to the great advice already given; the key is to stick with exercise that is not brand new to you or your body. Starting up karate now is not necessarily the best idea. But if you are used to being active, there is no reason to take off your running shoes. I walked three times a week and also did regular yoga until my last trimester and then I swtiched to yoga for pregnant women. All of it fun and helped me to feel great through most of my pregnancy. Karate is fun but it might be something to do to help you stay fit and posible fight off the blues, after you little one comes along!

Hi A.,
I overdid exercise and ended up in strict bedrest for my last trimester! I will recommend you to talk to your doctor. He can recommend you exercises that are good for you during pregnancy. I believe you can't do any contact exercises, so you might want to consider karate for some other time.
:)

I'm not an expert, but I've heard that the reason you don't overdo it when exercising is because the blood that normally pumps to your baby, instead pumps blood to help your muscles & heart deal with the super strain. My neighbor wanted to run a Tri-athelon when she was pregnant & that is what her Doctor told her. Normal exercise is O.K. & doing what you normally do should be O.K. I've heard that you shouldn't try something new & taxing that your body isn't used to. I'm sure your doctor can tell you the specifics about what your heartrate should be.

There are several work out videos for pregnant moms! I have never used one, so I don't know how intense they are, but they are designed to keep preggy mommies in shape too! That's the only thing I know of for a pregnant work out, but I don't know this area all that well! Good luck!

Hi A.,
When I was pregnant with my daugter I ran up to 30 miles a week. I continued exercising up to delivery. But, I had been running for 10 years before that, so it was not a new exercise for me. My daughter is now a very healthy 2 year old. Many studies have shown that exercising while pregnant actually leads to healthier, happier babies (for instance, reduced colic). And of course, help the mom lose the baby weight quicker after birth! But, they do say you should not start any new routine while pregnant, that is mainly because of potential for injuries to the mother. When you're pregnant, due to the extra hormones your body is producing, your muscles become more relaxed leading to greater chance of injury. I would definitely stay away from any exercise with the potential of falling or getting "beat" up. Have you looked into exercise classes for pregnant women, like aroebics or yoga?

Hey A.! I don't think you could have hurt your baby at this point in your preganacy. The only thing is that I think you have to keep your body temperature from getting to high in the 1st trimester and take breaks in your excercise routine. I'm a martial artist too,(Tae Kwon Do), and I was at green belt level 10 years ago when I found out about my 1st pregnancy. I kept going to class until around the middle of my 3rd month and even did a belt test during the 2nd month; At that level, the tests were not physically strenuous or anything; otherwise I would not have done it. Anyway, while I was still attending the classes, I was careful not to get to hot and never sparred or anything like that. I just worked on stretching, forms, and things of that nature. I kept on stretching throughout my pregnancy as much as I could. As you might imagine, that got more and more difficult as my belly grew; but even just a little stretching helps. Also; I kept practicing my forms so that I would not forget them when I went back to class. After my son was 3 months old, I went back to class without missing a beat or having to relearn everything. I just had to build my endurance up again, but that's about it and it didn't take too long. Plus, my body popped back into shape rather quickly. Talk to your doctor about it all, but I would just suggest keeping your mind sharp on your skill while your pregnant; even if your body can't cooperate at times. Good luck and congrats on the new baby:-)

R.