Pregnancy Workout??

Hello S., I have been in the fitness industry for a long time, and have been a yoga instructor for 4-5 years. What I can tell you is that you are not supposed to start anythin new when you find out that you are pregnant. It is ok to continue with what you have already been doing, but not supposed to start new. I have had women do yoga till the day before they delivered. but they started before they got pregnant. My suggestion, is if you were already doing something, keep it up, maybe even increase it slightly and slowly, as long as you hvae no discomfort. the other alternative would be to begin walking, slowly, and steadily increasing (as every one walks some right?) anyway that would be safe as long as your pregnancy isn't already at high risk. start walking 10-15 minutes a day every day, for 5-7 days then increase by 5 minutes every 3 days . Until you can walk up to an hour at a time. best of luck in your pregnancy and with your weight. and remember you are NOT eating for two! That baby will take all the nourishment it needs from your body! just keep the foods you eat healthy ones and a variety. More fruits and veggies, and a few whole grains, and small potions of clean protien (fish, white chicken, 1/2 cup of beans) you get the idea. Blessings, S.

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Hello Sara:

I just had my third baby! What kept the weight off was walking every day or every other day and a good diet. I kept a food diary and figure out how to eat the right portions. No secrets, no gimmicks... I gained 60 with each pregnancy, and this time I gained less. The only difference was the exercise. You can place the other two treasures in the baby jogger and go for a nice break. I will keep you feeling good and not so exhausted.
A little about me: I have 3 children, 10, 7, and 10 months. Good luck with this adventure.

I just had baby #2 and only gained 14lbs, with #1 I gained close to 50lbs, and never lost it. So I was very concerned about wieght gain with this pregnancy. I worked out 3-4 times a week, doing the eliptical machine for 30 minutes and up until my 8th month I did light weights. I watched what I ate, certainly didn't diet or deprived myself but didn't eat "for two" this time. Good luck!

The best way to not gain too much weight is to not eat unhealthy things. I just thought would I want my brand new baby to eat french fries or pizza or soda, etc. Since I didn't think my baby should eat those things, then I didn't because that is what my baby was getting. I tried to only eat very healthy things. I gained 28 pounds with a 9 pound baby. Good luck.

Yes! Water fitness! I am a water fitness instructor and a first time mom to a 2 month old baby girl and I taught my classes all the way up to her birth! It was a great workout- I didn't feel heavy due to the bouyancy of the water and if you really move it, you'll burn lots of calories and also tone your body. Even if you can't find a class nearby, just get yourself in a pool in mid-chest deep water and do jumping jacks, cross country ski, jog, etc. Just move! If the impact is not comfortable, get down lower (shoulders under water) and do the exercises so you're still touching the bottom, but have less impact. I need to get back into it! Need more ideas? Go to www.hydrofit.com where they have a choreography library for exercises you can do. I hope this helps!

I just had a baby boy 4 months ago, and only gained 20 pounds the entire pregnancy. I walked every other day for 30 minutes for all three trimesters. During the first and second trimesters, I also took the stairs every time I went somewhere instead of the elevator. I ate lots and lots of fruit instead of junk food (with a little chocolate for good measure :-), drank tons of water, and had an all-around healthy diet. The combination of diet and all that walking kept me very fit! Good luck.

Hi S.,

Congrats on your baby on the way! When I was about 3 months pregnant- my hubby bought me an eliptical machine at walmart- it was about $170. I loved it! My dr. told me it was excellent to work out with - I worked out up until I was 38 weeks..15 minutes a day Mon-Fri. I think it helped out alot- I only gained 25 lbs- and lost most of it within the first few months. It is something I can do in the privacy of my own home in my pjs if I want :)

Hope this helps!

Congratulations, S.! My dr. said no hot tub or sauna. I did low impact and water aerobics which was really soothing because I was SOOO hot!

Walking on the treadmill or around the neighborhood and using elliptical trainer. You can use water bottles as light weights while you walk. The biggest issue is whether you were working out before you got pregnant. If not, you need to be careful. Heart rate is a big issue - above a certain level and the baby gets deprived of oxygen. Your ob/gyn should be able to provide you with a safe routine or refer you to someone who can.

Yoga Yoga has great prenatal classes that help with weight issues as well as flexibility and core strength. Check it out at yogayoga.com.

prenatal yoga, lots of water, milk (if you can tolerate the lactose) and a diet heavy on the fruits, nuts, and vegetables - some meat (especially red) - and low on refined carbs (pasta, cakes, breads). I gained 20 that way and was back to prepregnancy weight in four weeks.

The DVD "The Perfect Pregnancy Workout" is great. I'm a Pilates instructor, and I used this DVD when I was just too mentally tired to put myself through one of my own workouts. It is important that you don't start a vigorous exercise routine that is very different from your pre-pregnancy days. The DVD has basic/intermediate/and advanced options for each exercise. It gets your heart rate up, but not too much. Walking is also wonderful. Get out and take advantage of the weather cooling down!

I would suggest FitMama by Leisa Hart and The Pregnancy Workout by Kathy Smith. I worked out with these videos (which are great when you've got other kids) at least 3 times a week and I felt like I could go another couple of weeks at the end of my pregnancy I felt so good. Eating the right healthy kinds of foods, drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly (make it part of your routine) are going to help keep you healthy during this critical time. Congrats and good luck!

J. (mommy of 4)

I would look at a diet designed for gestational diabetes as well as an exercise program that will work for you. I had a friend who actually lost weight during pregnancy because she had gestational diabetes and had to follow the diet. Her baby was a healthy baby.

Good luck and congrats!

I am in a program called Stroller Strides you can look it up online....our instructor Lisa Dearmond is 34 weeks pregnant and we also have 2 or three other pregnant moms...it has been wonderful for me the only thing is that you would have to have your kids in a stroller...for mine(3 and 1) i let them play on the playground after class....it's wonderful and you get to meet other moms in the process...check it out!

Hi S.,

Congratulations on baby number 3! The two workouts that I liked best were Lisa Hart's Fit Mama Pre and post natal workouts. She combines dance steps yoga and pilates. I also found a belly dancing workout for pregnant moms DVD. I thought that it would be neat to try if get pregnant again. Good Luck and God bless you and your family.

It's all about the food. My biggest problem was telling myself that I was eating for two...the problem was I was eating for two linebackers! I gained 65, 55, and when I was really "careful about what I ate"...45 lbs during my pregnancies. That said, some women just hold onto weight when they get pregnant. Better to have a healthy baby and a healthy body is my perspective even now. If you try to diet, your body could end up losing its nutrients to the baby and leaving you immune to problems later. I got off all of my baby weight by walking and working out at the gym once I stopped nursing. I used weight watchers to take the last twenty-eight off and now I am thinner than I was since High School! I guess my advice is be careful and walk, but don't stress over it until after the baby is born...then focus on yourself.

ditto... WALK, WALK, WALK... like several miles a day!!!... and yoga. There are great pre-natal and post natal classes you can take your baby to at YOGAYOGA. There are 4 locations.

walking and yoga. walk after dinner with hubby around the block, it helps, and of course pregnancy yoga, helps you sleep better later in the pregnancy where youd normally have aches and pains. if you keep your metabolic rate up during pregnancy, it helps you lose 3 times more after birth, especially if you breasfeed.
good luck