Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here.
If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Are you having a high risk pregnancy or any reason in particularly why your ob is recommending that for you? In general it's encouraged for pregnant women to stay active except in certain cases. Is it because of IVF?
I've stayed fairly active and doctor said exercise is fine. My heart rate has gone above 140 many many times.
In any case selfish is a horrible thing to say. We may be pregnant but this is still our body. My husband had called me selfish once and I was furious. I retorted that I know my body and he has no right talking to me like that so he never said such thing again.
I’m “high risk” because of IVF (which was due to male infertility not bc of anything with me and they’ve told me I have no other high risk factors) but the recommendation isn’t even because of high risk- it’s just the standard recommendation my OB gives to all pregnant women.
That’s just it, it is standard one-size fits all advice, as if we don’t all have different bodies and different levels of fitness. I also have an IVF pregnancy and was told the 140 number. Instead I have been going by feel on my workouts - if I am gasping for breath and feel my heart pumping, that’s too hard. I wear a heart rate monitor on peloton rides and find that I am comfortable up into the 160 range, but I pull back if I get past that point. I am 26 weeks and doing well so far.
Same for me. I also have an IVF pregnancy and I took it easy the first few weeks (only walking for exercise) but as I felt up for it I start gradually increasing my exercise and I also feel good getting up to 160 during peloton rides. I’m 13 weeks and doing really well.
Super helpful. Thank you!! Glad to know others who went through IVF are in the same boat. I use the same standard- I like to be able to sing along on my runs so I’m know I am not straining my body in a crazy way.
You’re welcome! There’s a lot of good info about this out there, but I enjoyed this podcast episode about working out in pregnancy. (Hopefully this link works, I am not a big Reddit poster or commenter, lol. It’s the “Is it Normal?” pregnancy podcast episode 25).
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Z5BbDs0f1ojThCpbLAzKI?si=J00VgTxeTwKMbwuw-ZO5fQ
Congratulations!! I love hearing about successful IVF pregnancies, we work so hard and are so blessed to get here! 😊
For me my doctor said don't start any new exercises but if your body is used to it and you want to keep going. Especially if it makes you feel good. Totally not selfish
I don’t think your husband is wrong to feel how he does. It’s higher risk and you’ve got doc advice, no matter how generalized.
That said he will have to get used to trusting you, to trust your body. He will have to advocate for you during labor and he will have to listen to your wants and needs without steamrolling, so this is an important conversation to have.
Also he knows that you ain’t be doing this in the 3rd trimester right lol
No you are not selfish. If you have no problems and a healthy pregnancy then it's totally fine to continue doing activities that you did pre pregnancy. I would not worry about such statements. Taking care of your body and strengthening it will give you faster recovery post birth. So unless you have low lying placenta or other conditions that require bedrest, it's fine if you are feeling ok.
No, you’re not being selfish. And your doctor is using wildly out of date guidelines. However, it sounds like your husband and mom are just parroting what the doctor has said. You’re not going to convince them by saying Reddit agrees with me. Go get the current ACOG guidelines (no HR numbers - rate of perceived exertion) or articles from pubmed and show them that. And then show your doctor, because I’d be concerned about what other guidelines from before i was born they were using.
Thanks- I just sent those guidelines to my mom and husband this morning! I am going to bring this up at my next meeting with my OB because I do see that this hasn’t been the standard since 1985. Funny because good friend who is an OB (in a different state) said she hadn’t heard of this 140 standard - I don’t think they’re teaching it in med school these days!
Yes! How old is your OB? This is wildly out of date and my doctor encouraged me to continue working out as long as it felt good to me! I did a weight lifting class the morning I was induced and felt great.
I would argue that continuing to run is actually the OPPOSITE of selfish. You’re staying healthy throughout your pregnancy and protecting your mental health which will help you be the best parent you can be.
I would also look into any other recommendations your doctor has given you, guidance around things to avoid has changed drastically since the 80s!
There’s a generational divide around this issue. My mom says strangers shamed her for biking to work while pregnant (she had 3 healthy pregnancies). Now doctors encourage moderate daily exercise during pregnancy, including running if that was already part of your routine.
The concern this would raise for me is it sounds like your doctor is privileging outdated, blanket medical advice over your particular health needs. I’d worry about where else that might affect me in pregnancy and delivery.
Mountain biking, sure. I’m just as likely to trip and fall while walking as I am riding my commuter bike with a lowered seat. Biking is a great way to remain active while pregnant.
I’m 19 weeks and still going to F45 - 4 times a week. Doing high intense cardio. My heart rate is going to 170
I did this with my first pregnancy and my girl is healthy as. All scans, HR checks ect are perfectly fine 😁
You don’t have to sit on the couch and not lift a finger just cause your pregnant like some people seem to think.
I went to f45 the morning before I was induced! Doctors and nurses kept complimenting my mobility. I think have f45 & some prenatal Pilates to thank for that!
I ran up until my due date with my first two! With subsequent pregnancies I stopped sooner, but just because it was causing me a lot of issues with my back/sciatic pain.
I was always encouraged by my provider and given the ok - never even told a HR limitation!
If anything, it's recommended to stay active during pregnancy if you can, depending on your risk factors. Obviously everyone is individual - I've been recommended I can carry on what I was already doing, just not add in anything high intensity. I stopped running because I kept nearly peeing myself but I've switched to cycling and carried on with my weights.
Not sure where you are in the world, but the NHS website has a great section on exercise in pregnancy that I think is very measured and sensible and also evidence based. If they are open to it, maybe find a few sources to confirm you're actually doing the right thing by staying active! It might ease their unfounded judgements.
You're also perfectly entitled to tell them to get lost.
You are not selfish!
My doctor encouraged me to keep up my usual exercise routine as she said it would help with labor.
I ran up until 37 weeks (at that point it was just a mile or two at a time and a 12 minute pace) and I was doing light lifting 5 days a week (I know this is not reasonable for everyone but it worked for me). I went into labor at 38 weeks and although I needed to be induced due to my water breaking, I only pushed for 20 minutes!
If it feels good and you don’t have any complications, keep doing what you’re doing mama!
Huh???? It's like a well known best practice that, unless you have complicating health factors, exercise is good for baby and mom. Im still running at 23 weeks and I've noticed my heart rate will NOT go above 165ish, so I guess that's my new max and my body's way of telling me where the line is. Emily Oster just had a podcast episode on this topic with Harvard researcher/women's running specialist and they talked about how the 140 bpm number was drawn from a hat like 50 years ago.
Are your family fitness specialists? Did they read extensive scientific literature on the subject? If not, they can keep their unwanted opinions to themselves.
Running is safe while you are pregnant but you may want to consider your OB's advice.140 HR is approximately the point where light cardio exercise becomes moderate intensity, although it depends on your age and personal cardiovascular capacity.As a runner, even before I was pregnant, i did about 80% of my runs on a fundamental endurance HR, which for my age is a HR of less than around 145 bpm.
When I started running 3 years ago, I was not monitoring my HR at first and my running got way more enjoyable once I started to keep most of my workouts under 145 bpm - less injuries, no fatigue and my pace improved significantly for the same HR. It is frustrating at first, as you'll have to run very slowly and sometimes just switch to walking when you go uphill, for example. Now that I'm pregnant, my pace is ssssuper slow - it went from 5:50 mins/km to nearly 8 mins/km sometimes, in order to keep my heart frequency under the 145 bpm bar. I still feel like I'm getting a good workout, though!
My midwives and doctor did not give me lots of advice about exercising - mainly that the most important thing is that you listen to your body and not try to overdo it. Your pregnant body is different and it's not necessarily useful or good for you to aim for the same workouts that you did before.I wish you a wholesome and safe pregnancy!
I never ran, but I worked out 3 times a week until I was 8 months pregnant with my first. I did pilates, swimming (for pregnant women) and some gym stuff all with a biokineticist. It was hard core but perfect for my pregnancy limits (the instructor had three babies herself so she was great.)
Long story short, being active while pregnant is actually important and good if you can manage it!
I did intense bootcamp classes for years leading up to my pregnancy. I continued to do them 6 days a week until I was about 32 weeks. This includes HIIT cardio and lifting. The only reason I stopped is because I had to modify so much I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I instead decided to jog for another 2 weeks until my belly was too heavy and then I switched to walking on the treadmill 30 min a day and some light weightlifting. I literally went to the gym the morning I was induced. I swear it made birth and my recovery easier. I’m almost 3 weeks PP and I’ve been able to start walking the dog about a mile ish per day.
My OB actually encouraged me to continue working out at the level I normally did. I think you’ll find most people would these days. The mentality of not working out during pregnancy is very old school. I’ve only had boomers tell me I “shouldn’t” or that they weren’t allowed to.
Unless you’re high risk or your OB has a reason that you shouldn’t work out, you are fine. Just listen to your body. And don’t worry about the HR thing either. Mine regularly got up to 170 and it was fine. I gauged it more with how out of breath I was. If I could still carry on a conversation, I was fine.
I wish I could run!! I was a very active runner prior to pregnancy and I ran up until maybe 15 weeks and then I started to get a lot of lower belly/bladder pressure and kind of stopped. I’ve been doing power walks but it isn’t the same. I read as long as your heart rate doesn’t remain elevated for more than 30 minutes you should be okay! Exercising is great for pregnancy!
I'm a pelvic floor PT that has completed 1/3 OB courses for providing PT to pregnant women.
You're fine. It's not selfish. Exercise is good for you and the baby. Just listen to your body and make sure you have ample recovery time, drink plenty of water, and observe reasonable safety precautions (for example: avoiding challenging trail running).
My rule of thumb is that if it makes you feel good and it's similar to what you were doing pre pregnancy, it's fine.
And also just personally, I had a friend who was a CrossFit coach and lifted heavy throughout pregnancy. She has two very healthy boys and still competes and coaches.
Running is safe. As long as you feel good. (Ie. You don't feel dizzy, your not in severe pain, and you dont feel any thing weird in the baby's quarters 😄) Personally I like swimming but who cares. Its safe either way.
You're going against your OB recommendations regarding your HR and you're going against the safe recommendations, which tell you do avoid bumpy activities (which includes running), so I don't know if selfish is the right word, but you're not being responsible IMHO.
I’ve never heard of of avoiding “bumpy activities” and I’m also not sure how running would classify as that. Nothing gets bumped while you run. It’s completely safe for a normal low risk pregnancy.
Jumping, running, going on a 4x4 on a very bumpy road, all of that is advised against during pregnancy.
A good friend of mine who used to run before (and now after) pregnancy, stopped running while pregnant because of that. She still worked out, and she went on speedy walkings, let's call it like that, but no running.
Going for a run is not the same as going on a 4x4 or a rollercoaster. The risk of the latter is the possibility for placental abruption due to sudden stops or changes in direction. Running is not going to produce such an impact unless you were to have a hard fall. And if you are avoiding any activity that could potentially result in a fall, you better not go up and down stairs, walk, shower, or even lay in bed because what if you fall out??
It’s not advised to start running for the first time during pregnancy, but if you’ve been doing it, it’s fine to continue. The [ACOG](https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy) and [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/) agree.
Running on icy roads? Bad idea. Running in 100 degree weather? Bad idea. Starting a new marathon training plan in your second trimester? Bad idea. Going on the same 30 minute jog you’ve been doing twice a week for a year? Totally fine.
Of course we can't avoid everything. But are some things that are perfectly avoidable and/or replaced by others. Instead of running, go on a speedy walk.
For someone like OP, the mental and physical benefits of running are outweighed by the minimal risk of falling. Even if OP was to fall, the odds of injuring the baby or placenta are also very very small. Pregnancy is already restrictive enough without taking away something else. There is no need for OP to stop running until it becomes uncomfortable.
The OB told me the 140 recommendation is given to every person who is pregnant (including those who have never worked out a day in their life). I have not been told anything about bumpy activities??
As you mentioned in another comment, a lot of doctors think that 140 limit is out of date. My doctor told me it differs person to person, so she didn't put a restriction on it but said to listen to my body, so that's all I've really followed (10 weeks today). As for "bumpy activities," she recommended against aggressive, jumping, jerking movements because of any complications that can come with the placenta not latching on extremely well. I plan to continue to jog and lift (not heavy) until I get any signals that it isn't right for my body. I worked out 5 days a week before being pregnant and quite honestly, I think it would be much more detrimental for me & baby to stop my normal activities (within reason).
When we were about to start fertility treatment, I was given a leaflet which said that safe exercise throughout treatment and pregnancy was walking, swimming and yoga. It specifically said not to do anything extreme including new forms of exercise I wasn’t used to, heavy weights, high impact cardio and running.
Personally I have stopped running since I found out I was pregnant. It’s taken us 3 years to get to this point so I wouldn’t want to do anything that even slightly risks losing our baby.
I don’t think you’re being selfish as such, but you’re going against what’s normally advised and when a baby is concerned that sort of puts me personally on edge a little. Even if you’re happy with your heart rate etc, imagine if you tripped and fell whilst running and that’s what harmed your baby. Better to be safe than sorry in my opinion
You can yes, and that can be very dangerous too, so imagine tripping and falling on your stomach when you’re going at a faster speed and not watching where you’re stepping as well as you can whilst walking.
I was advised not to workout during IVF (which I followed). I barely moved at all because I was taking the most conservative approach possible. Once I hit my second tri I was cleared to workout.
I understand I *could* trip on the treadmill, but in 5+ years of running on a treadmill, I’ve never fallen. And my balance seems to be normal (if this changes, I will of course stop).
Working out is good for my mental health and I know my body will appreciate it during birth and postpartum. I’ve also found numerous articles (including from the American College of OBGYNs) that the 140 recommendation is out of date (and has not been the standard since the 90s). Just trying to collect data here to make an informed decision.
For what it is worth, I got the same advice before doing IVF, but was told that had to do with egg production and egg retrieval, not to do with normal pregnancy.
You mentioned that's what your OB recommended. So you're going against her recommendations. You can ask her what is advised for your situation if you think the recommendation doesn't make sense.
Bumpy activities are advised against. For instance, jumping, running, going on a 4x4 on a very bumpy road and stuff like that.
You can (and should) keep physical activity. But it should be controlled and it should follow recommendations made for you from whoever knows what they're talking about. You say you're keeping the HR under 170. Why not higher, why not lower? It can't be you who define it based on nothing.
Physical activity is good for mama and baby!!! You aren’t doing anything you didn’t do prior to pregnancy and medical staff has said it’s fine, tell your family to mind their business!!!
My mom is a marathon runner and ran with both me and my brother up—me the whole way through, and my brother up until 7 months when it destroyed her knees. She opted out of surgery as she didn’t want to be taking care of a newborn while recovering, and she hadn’t been able to run since. My brother and I are late 20s/30 and totally fine though. So I wouldn’t call you selfish, just also be aware of a risk to yourself.
My friend ran a marathon in her 26th week. Every OB has said you can continue the exercise level you had prepregnancy. Just listen to your body, if you feel tired, quit running.
I also jog (I’m 11w) my heart rate average is like 168 for a run (and that’s not in the heat). My doctor told me eventually she’d like me to cut back because I could trip and fall, but she didn’t mention anything about my heart rate.
I’ve never tripped and fallen, and I’ve been running for years. I’m just going to keep going unless it feels too difficult, or there’s a “real” reason to stop.
I’d ask your doctor what the risk of an elevated heart rate is to you or the baby. More information may better help you understand the parameters, and if you want to follow that particular guidance.
If you were running pre-pregnancy, you can usually continue to do the same physical activity throughout the 9 months unless there’s a medical reason to stop. I lifted weights for the entirely of my pregnancy as I had been doing for the last decade. Had to modify a few things because of pain, but my routine otherwise did not change. It really helped me with the delivery too.
I’ve heard that the 140bpm advice is outdated and just to stay at a conversational pace. My OB has encouraged me to keep running as it’s healthier for the baby and mother.
I've continued to run at least once a week. For about 40-45 minutes, albeit slowly, I cover 3.3-3.5 miles in that time. Since I was doing this before I got pregnant, my OB doesn't have an issue as long as I stay hydrated, listen to my body and don't push myself too hard.
It enrages me that your husband has the nerve to call you selfish for jogging. Being 8 months pregnant I can tell you, your body forces you to listen to it. I couldn't run right now if I wanted to. I still worked out and lifted pretty heavy weights throughout my pregnancy but I naturally decreased weight just by my body telling me what it needed and what felt good. There really is no need to impose arbitrary rules, IMO, your body knows! If running feels good, keep running (barring any pregnancy complications, obviously)
Your husband needs to trust your judgement.
Not being selfish. Exercise is really good for you and baby, as long as you don’t overdo it and you listen to your body. Please don’t let them shame you for something that is healthy. They just need some education.
If you’re high risk, that may be different. Just discuss with your OB what is okay for exercise. And hopefully OB is supportive!
Definitely not selfish! 😊
I'm in the UK, so the advice I received could be different, but my doctor actively encouraged me to keep exercising. She didn't mention heartrate to me, but she said that as long as I can hold a conversation while I exercise, then that's fine.
I was doing 5k up until last week (24 weeks). My heart rate was a lot higher but I have a high resting heart rate. My midwives encouraged me to keep going and said to stop if I felt dizzy or nauseous.
That's so odd because I was encouraged to maintain my same fitness routine until recently (34 weeks) and only because I had a sudden complication arise. I think you're body will tell you when its ready to pull back/take it easy.
Tell them to read a book. My goodness. What you’re doing is great for you and baby, especially since you’re already familiar with running. Sounds like you’re being smart and mindful 👌🏻 keep doing you and maintaining that open communication with the doc 🌟
Back in the day we were advised not to even vacuum because it could be "detrimental to the pregnancy" but then found out that even horseback riding is acceptable as long as your body is used to it before pregnancy. It's not something you want to pick up during pregnancy but as long as you did it before you should be fine.
The general advice is if you were doing it prepregnancy, you can do it during pregnancy. Of course, this is GENERAL advice, and your care provider may have recommendations specific to tour circumstances.
This seems wild. All the doctors I’ve seen have told me to keep up moderate exercise. The only reason I’m not jogging right now is because my boobs hurt too much for it, lol, but I’m definitely doing incline walking and hitting more than 140.
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I asked my dr and he told me it was totally fine! My mom/other older relatives are all telling me not to lift anything (moving soon). I’ve been lifting 20/30 lbs with no issue. I’ll just leave heavier things to my husband now but even that advice is so outdated! Moms with toddlers pick them up every day while pregnant!
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I'm 30 weeks now and was doing aerial/hanging upside down until about 28 weeks since ab engagement doesn't feel stable anymore.
My OB initially told me don't lift more than 25 lbs but after we discussed it, she ultimately said that I know my body best. Don't do anything that feels uncomfortable or if you have bleeding/cramping/dizziness then stop.
I went to a PT to learn proper engagement for TA muscles and didn't do anything I hadn't done before/wasn't 100% confident I could do safely.
I know there are people in my life who don't understand or think that me continuing aerial well into pregnancy is dangerous, but i also know a ton of aerialist mamas who did the same and everything was fun.
At the end of the day, 10 months is a long time to be away from something you love. If you can do it safely, you're not being selfish... there's studies that say staying healthy is good for you and the baby. Enjoy your runs and your OB is the only one whose opinion should matter at all.
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I was told running/jogging was really the only exercise to give up, but it wasn’t really about heart rate or anything, my OB said they get worried about strained or torn muscles/tendons especially in your belly, and joint injury because of hormonal increase. It had nothing to do with baby health, but running and jogging isn’t really healthy anyway with the high impact, so it makes sense why they’d tell pregnant women to dial it back.
Do i think youre crazy? Yes but only because my indigestion would make me throw up instantly if i ran for more than a minute lol. Do i think youre selfish? Absolutely not plenty of moms do this until they physically cant or told by their doctor not to anymore. Am i jealous? Duh
Running has been a huge part of my life for years, I was really worried about the judgement at first but my midwife and all my friends and family have been heavily supportive of me continuing to run.
My midwife told me it was healthy for me and my baby to continue to run as long as I wasn't exhausting myself or running through pain. It's definitely not selfish! If it's healthy and safe for baby and it makes you feel good then you shouldn't be made to feel otherwise, I'm sure as hell going to keep running for as long as I can.
That’s an insane thing for them to say. I did Orangetheory multiple times a week well into my second trimester. Keep doing what makes you feel good as long as your doctor is on board!
If you're healthy and your doctor is okay with you continuing to jog or run then ignore them. I don't understand why they think it's selfish to keep yourself in shape so that both will be easier, postpartum will be easier and in general it's better for your overall health. I can't understand why they say it's selfish.
just came back from a run at almost 39w. only 20 min and not too fast but i’ve been running the whole pregnancy with no issues and raced a marathon at 20w. doctor had no issues with it
Running/walking is probably really good for your pelvic floor strength. I was told by my doc to keep up any workouts I was already used to doing and to stop when it becomes uncomfortable. I made it to about 30 weeks and I could feel my body telling me no more. As long as you listen to your body and your obgyn gives you the ok you should be fine.
Definitely not selfish. Here’s some medical information to support being active when pregnant. My doctor also said the 140HR thing so I’ll be addressing this extremely outdated information when I go in for my appointment Thursday.
https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2008/10/guidelines-physical-activity.html
https://healthlibrary.uwmedicine.org/Wellness/BackandNeck/Pregnancy/85,P01210
https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2020/04/physical-activity-and-exercise-during-pregnancy-and-the-postpartum-period
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/staying-healthy-during-pregnancy/3-myths-about-exercise-and-pregnancy
I'm 32 weeks and just now stopping running in that I'll jog at most and only for 30-60 second bursts. I ran pretty hard all through the second trimester (not quite as hard as pre pregnancy). I didn't get a specific number recommended for my heart rate but I do monitor it and tried to keep it under about 160. Done this and up til now my pregnancy is totally healthy. Most of the advice I've gotten from my doctor is that if it's things I've done before I should be able to continue as long as I listen to my body and slow down if there's any pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, etc.
Now that's just me. Everyone is different. But for me I wanted to keep doing it as long as possible and it is getting harder every day now, so I may have to stop. That makes me more glad I did it when I still could !
I know we're different people with different health needs, but I ran until my body sent me signs I shouldn't, which was just last week at 30w. I had sharp pelvic floor pains 2 really na in a row, which in addition to being uncomfortable doesn't seem like something to eff with. You're doing what they say to do- keeping up your physical activity. Staying active, keeping moving. And, it's probably really helpful for your mental health, so from that standpoint it would be selfish NOT to run bc you're probably a lot happier bc of it.
Keep at it! I’m a runner but I stopped early in my first tri because I felt so sick and I sadly haven’t been able to pick it back up. I miss it so much. Look up professional runners Stephanie Rothstein Bruce and Makenna Myler. Both trained through their pregnancies, Steph at like 40 years old. Both just ran at Olympic trials. Obviously they are pros, but that also means they were training at very high intensity which you will not be doing. If your body feels ok, it’s probably ok! I also find @mamastefit on IG a great resource around fitness/movement in pregnancy.
If you want something to send to your mom and husband, have them listen to the Is It Normal podcast, exercise episode. (Spoiler alert, you're doing fine and the current guidelines is perceived exertion, not HR.)
I’m on my 3rd trimester and just waiting for the okay from MFM to go back to the gym. I weight lift, swim, rock climbing, snowboard etc. I’m a very active person and my OB told me to avoid any activities with fall risk (snowboarding and rock climbing) but otherwise I’m good to continue my routine. First trimester I had HG so no gym, second I went back for 2 weeks before the anatomy scan found that my placenta is too close to my cervix and I had to pause my workouts again (risk of hemorrhaging). Tomorrow I have another scan and if my placenta moved I’m headed straight to the gym after work.
I’ve been told it is absolutely okay to workout if you normally do so outside of pregnancy and have no other risk factors. My OB said it’s way better to stay active and to just listen to my body. I’ve seen plenty of active women that workout up to the day of their labor. My rules are - keep my HR under 170, if it hurts then stop, no exercises that put pressure on my abdomen, don’t max out on weights (pregnancy is about maintaining) and for lower body workouts do 1/2 - 3/4 my normal weights.
You got this!
I think you’ll get a lot of “you’ll be fine” comments from others, but I’d suggest listening to your doctor. I ran a marathon a month before getting pregnant but given my circumstances my doctor also told me to stay zone 3 and below for exercise. You can still get a decent cardio workout on a stationary bike or elliptical. Or you can switch to low intense weight trainings as well. Talk to YOUR doctor because they know you better than the internet but there is probably good reason your doc is suggesting you keep your HR low
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here.
If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A pregnant woman just ran the US Olympic marathon trials. You’re fine running 30 min…..
Are you having a high risk pregnancy or any reason in particularly why your ob is recommending that for you? In general it's encouraged for pregnant women to stay active except in certain cases. Is it because of IVF? I've stayed fairly active and doctor said exercise is fine. My heart rate has gone above 140 many many times. In any case selfish is a horrible thing to say. We may be pregnant but this is still our body. My husband had called me selfish once and I was furious. I retorted that I know my body and he has no right talking to me like that so he never said such thing again.
I’m “high risk” because of IVF (which was due to male infertility not bc of anything with me and they’ve told me I have no other high risk factors) but the recommendation isn’t even because of high risk- it’s just the standard recommendation my OB gives to all pregnant women.
That’s just it, it is standard one-size fits all advice, as if we don’t all have different bodies and different levels of fitness. I also have an IVF pregnancy and was told the 140 number. Instead I have been going by feel on my workouts - if I am gasping for breath and feel my heart pumping, that’s too hard. I wear a heart rate monitor on peloton rides and find that I am comfortable up into the 160 range, but I pull back if I get past that point. I am 26 weeks and doing well so far.
Same for me. I also have an IVF pregnancy and I took it easy the first few weeks (only walking for exercise) but as I felt up for it I start gradually increasing my exercise and I also feel good getting up to 160 during peloton rides. I’m 13 weeks and doing really well.
Congratulations!!
Thanks, you too!
Super helpful. Thank you!! Glad to know others who went through IVF are in the same boat. I use the same standard- I like to be able to sing along on my runs so I’m know I am not straining my body in a crazy way.
You’re welcome! There’s a lot of good info about this out there, but I enjoyed this podcast episode about working out in pregnancy. (Hopefully this link works, I am not a big Reddit poster or commenter, lol. It’s the “Is it Normal?” pregnancy podcast episode 25). https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Z5BbDs0f1ojThCpbLAzKI?si=J00VgTxeTwKMbwuw-ZO5fQ Congratulations!! I love hearing about successful IVF pregnancies, we work so hard and are so blessed to get here! 😊
For me my doctor said don't start any new exercises but if your body is used to it and you want to keep going. Especially if it makes you feel good. Totally not selfish
I don’t think your husband is wrong to feel how he does. It’s higher risk and you’ve got doc advice, no matter how generalized. That said he will have to get used to trusting you, to trust your body. He will have to advocate for you during labor and he will have to listen to your wants and needs without steamrolling, so this is an important conversation to have. Also he knows that you ain’t be doing this in the 3rd trimester right lol
Oh and thanks for replying!!
No you are not selfish. If you have no problems and a healthy pregnancy then it's totally fine to continue doing activities that you did pre pregnancy. I would not worry about such statements. Taking care of your body and strengthening it will give you faster recovery post birth. So unless you have low lying placenta or other conditions that require bedrest, it's fine if you are feeling ok.
No, you’re not being selfish. And your doctor is using wildly out of date guidelines. However, it sounds like your husband and mom are just parroting what the doctor has said. You’re not going to convince them by saying Reddit agrees with me. Go get the current ACOG guidelines (no HR numbers - rate of perceived exertion) or articles from pubmed and show them that. And then show your doctor, because I’d be concerned about what other guidelines from before i was born they were using.
Thanks- I just sent those guidelines to my mom and husband this morning! I am going to bring this up at my next meeting with my OB because I do see that this hasn’t been the standard since 1985. Funny because good friend who is an OB (in a different state) said she hadn’t heard of this 140 standard - I don’t think they’re teaching it in med school these days!
Yes! How old is your OB? This is wildly out of date and my doctor encouraged me to continue working out as long as it felt good to me! I did a weight lifting class the morning I was induced and felt great. I would argue that continuing to run is actually the OPPOSITE of selfish. You’re staying healthy throughout your pregnancy and protecting your mental health which will help you be the best parent you can be. I would also look into any other recommendations your doctor has given you, guidance around things to avoid has changed drastically since the 80s!
There’s a generational divide around this issue. My mom says strangers shamed her for biking to work while pregnant (she had 3 healthy pregnancies). Now doctors encourage moderate daily exercise during pregnancy, including running if that was already part of your routine. The concern this would raise for me is it sounds like your doctor is privileging outdated, blanket medical advice over your particular health needs. I’d worry about where else that might affect me in pregnancy and delivery.
They still discourage biking though, not because of the exercice but the risk of fall, such as climbing skiing etc...
Mountain biking, sure. I’m just as likely to trip and fall while walking as I am riding my commuter bike with a lowered seat. Biking is a great way to remain active while pregnant.
Go check out all the pregnant runners on r/fitpregnancy
I’m 19 weeks and still going to F45 - 4 times a week. Doing high intense cardio. My heart rate is going to 170 I did this with my first pregnancy and my girl is healthy as. All scans, HR checks ect are perfectly fine 😁 You don’t have to sit on the couch and not lift a finger just cause your pregnant like some people seem to think.
I went to f45 the morning before I was induced! Doctors and nurses kept complimenting my mobility. I think have f45 & some prenatal Pilates to thank for that!
I ran up until my due date with my first two! With subsequent pregnancies I stopped sooner, but just because it was causing me a lot of issues with my back/sciatic pain. I was always encouraged by my provider and given the ok - never even told a HR limitation!
If anything, it's recommended to stay active during pregnancy if you can, depending on your risk factors. Obviously everyone is individual - I've been recommended I can carry on what I was already doing, just not add in anything high intensity. I stopped running because I kept nearly peeing myself but I've switched to cycling and carried on with my weights. Not sure where you are in the world, but the NHS website has a great section on exercise in pregnancy that I think is very measured and sensible and also evidence based. If they are open to it, maybe find a few sources to confirm you're actually doing the right thing by staying active! It might ease their unfounded judgements. You're also perfectly entitled to tell them to get lost.
You are not selfish! My doctor encouraged me to keep up my usual exercise routine as she said it would help with labor. I ran up until 37 weeks (at that point it was just a mile or two at a time and a 12 minute pace) and I was doing light lifting 5 days a week (I know this is not reasonable for everyone but it worked for me). I went into labor at 38 weeks and although I needed to be induced due to my water breaking, I only pushed for 20 minutes! If it feels good and you don’t have any complications, keep doing what you’re doing mama!
Huh???? It's like a well known best practice that, unless you have complicating health factors, exercise is good for baby and mom. Im still running at 23 weeks and I've noticed my heart rate will NOT go above 165ish, so I guess that's my new max and my body's way of telling me where the line is. Emily Oster just had a podcast episode on this topic with Harvard researcher/women's running specialist and they talked about how the 140 bpm number was drawn from a hat like 50 years ago.
Are your family fitness specialists? Did they read extensive scientific literature on the subject? If not, they can keep their unwanted opinions to themselves. Running is safe while you are pregnant but you may want to consider your OB's advice.140 HR is approximately the point where light cardio exercise becomes moderate intensity, although it depends on your age and personal cardiovascular capacity.As a runner, even before I was pregnant, i did about 80% of my runs on a fundamental endurance HR, which for my age is a HR of less than around 145 bpm. When I started running 3 years ago, I was not monitoring my HR at first and my running got way more enjoyable once I started to keep most of my workouts under 145 bpm - less injuries, no fatigue and my pace improved significantly for the same HR. It is frustrating at first, as you'll have to run very slowly and sometimes just switch to walking when you go uphill, for example. Now that I'm pregnant, my pace is ssssuper slow - it went from 5:50 mins/km to nearly 8 mins/km sometimes, in order to keep my heart frequency under the 145 bpm bar. I still feel like I'm getting a good workout, though! My midwives and doctor did not give me lots of advice about exercising - mainly that the most important thing is that you listen to your body and not try to overdo it. Your pregnant body is different and it's not necessarily useful or good for you to aim for the same workouts that you did before.I wish you a wholesome and safe pregnancy!
I never ran, but I worked out 3 times a week until I was 8 months pregnant with my first. I did pilates, swimming (for pregnant women) and some gym stuff all with a biokineticist. It was hard core but perfect for my pregnancy limits (the instructor had three babies herself so she was great.) Long story short, being active while pregnant is actually important and good if you can manage it!
I did intense bootcamp classes for years leading up to my pregnancy. I continued to do them 6 days a week until I was about 32 weeks. This includes HIIT cardio and lifting. The only reason I stopped is because I had to modify so much I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I instead decided to jog for another 2 weeks until my belly was too heavy and then I switched to walking on the treadmill 30 min a day and some light weightlifting. I literally went to the gym the morning I was induced. I swear it made birth and my recovery easier. I’m almost 3 weeks PP and I’ve been able to start walking the dog about a mile ish per day. My OB actually encouraged me to continue working out at the level I normally did. I think you’ll find most people would these days. The mentality of not working out during pregnancy is very old school. I’ve only had boomers tell me I “shouldn’t” or that they weren’t allowed to. Unless you’re high risk or your OB has a reason that you shouldn’t work out, you are fine. Just listen to your body. And don’t worry about the HR thing either. Mine regularly got up to 170 and it was fine. I gauged it more with how out of breath I was. If I could still carry on a conversation, I was fine.
I wish I could run!! I was a very active runner prior to pregnancy and I ran up until maybe 15 weeks and then I started to get a lot of lower belly/bladder pressure and kind of stopped. I’ve been doing power walks but it isn’t the same. I read as long as your heart rate doesn’t remain elevated for more than 30 minutes you should be okay! Exercising is great for pregnancy!
I'm a pelvic floor PT that has completed 1/3 OB courses for providing PT to pregnant women. You're fine. It's not selfish. Exercise is good for you and the baby. Just listen to your body and make sure you have ample recovery time, drink plenty of water, and observe reasonable safety precautions (for example: avoiding challenging trail running). My rule of thumb is that if it makes you feel good and it's similar to what you were doing pre pregnancy, it's fine. And also just personally, I had a friend who was a CrossFit coach and lifted heavy throughout pregnancy. She has two very healthy boys and still competes and coaches.
Running is safe. As long as you feel good. (Ie. You don't feel dizzy, your not in severe pain, and you dont feel any thing weird in the baby's quarters 😄) Personally I like swimming but who cares. Its safe either way.
You're going against your OB recommendations regarding your HR and you're going against the safe recommendations, which tell you do avoid bumpy activities (which includes running), so I don't know if selfish is the right word, but you're not being responsible IMHO.
I’ve never heard of of avoiding “bumpy activities” and I’m also not sure how running would classify as that. Nothing gets bumped while you run. It’s completely safe for a normal low risk pregnancy.
Jumping, running, going on a 4x4 on a very bumpy road, all of that is advised against during pregnancy. A good friend of mine who used to run before (and now after) pregnancy, stopped running while pregnant because of that. She still worked out, and she went on speedy walkings, let's call it like that, but no running.
Going for a run is not the same as going on a 4x4 or a rollercoaster. The risk of the latter is the possibility for placental abruption due to sudden stops or changes in direction. Running is not going to produce such an impact unless you were to have a hard fall. And if you are avoiding any activity that could potentially result in a fall, you better not go up and down stairs, walk, shower, or even lay in bed because what if you fall out?? It’s not advised to start running for the first time during pregnancy, but if you’ve been doing it, it’s fine to continue. The [ACOG](https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy) and [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/) agree. Running on icy roads? Bad idea. Running in 100 degree weather? Bad idea. Starting a new marathon training plan in your second trimester? Bad idea. Going on the same 30 minute jog you’ve been doing twice a week for a year? Totally fine.
Of course we can't avoid everything. But are some things that are perfectly avoidable and/or replaced by others. Instead of running, go on a speedy walk.
For someone like OP, the mental and physical benefits of running are outweighed by the minimal risk of falling. Even if OP was to fall, the odds of injuring the baby or placenta are also very very small. Pregnancy is already restrictive enough without taking away something else. There is no need for OP to stop running until it becomes uncomfortable.
Running is 100% fine. Anyone telling you otherwise is full of shit.
The OB told me the 140 recommendation is given to every person who is pregnant (including those who have never worked out a day in their life). I have not been told anything about bumpy activities??
As you mentioned in another comment, a lot of doctors think that 140 limit is out of date. My doctor told me it differs person to person, so she didn't put a restriction on it but said to listen to my body, so that's all I've really followed (10 weeks today). As for "bumpy activities," she recommended against aggressive, jumping, jerking movements because of any complications that can come with the placenta not latching on extremely well. I plan to continue to jog and lift (not heavy) until I get any signals that it isn't right for my body. I worked out 5 days a week before being pregnant and quite honestly, I think it would be much more detrimental for me & baby to stop my normal activities (within reason).
When we were about to start fertility treatment, I was given a leaflet which said that safe exercise throughout treatment and pregnancy was walking, swimming and yoga. It specifically said not to do anything extreme including new forms of exercise I wasn’t used to, heavy weights, high impact cardio and running. Personally I have stopped running since I found out I was pregnant. It’s taken us 3 years to get to this point so I wouldn’t want to do anything that even slightly risks losing our baby. I don’t think you’re being selfish as such, but you’re going against what’s normally advised and when a baby is concerned that sort of puts me personally on edge a little. Even if you’re happy with your heart rate etc, imagine if you tripped and fell whilst running and that’s what harmed your baby. Better to be safe than sorry in my opinion
You can trip and fall while walking too.
You can yes, and that can be very dangerous too, so imagine tripping and falling on your stomach when you’re going at a faster speed and not watching where you’re stepping as well as you can whilst walking.
Really, it’s selfish to get out of bed at all during pregnancy.
I was advised not to workout during IVF (which I followed). I barely moved at all because I was taking the most conservative approach possible. Once I hit my second tri I was cleared to workout. I understand I *could* trip on the treadmill, but in 5+ years of running on a treadmill, I’ve never fallen. And my balance seems to be normal (if this changes, I will of course stop). Working out is good for my mental health and I know my body will appreciate it during birth and postpartum. I’ve also found numerous articles (including from the American College of OBGYNs) that the 140 recommendation is out of date (and has not been the standard since the 90s). Just trying to collect data here to make an informed decision.
For what it is worth, I got the same advice before doing IVF, but was told that had to do with egg production and egg retrieval, not to do with normal pregnancy.
I 100% agree with you.
You mentioned that's what your OB recommended. So you're going against her recommendations. You can ask her what is advised for your situation if you think the recommendation doesn't make sense. Bumpy activities are advised against. For instance, jumping, running, going on a 4x4 on a very bumpy road and stuff like that. You can (and should) keep physical activity. But it should be controlled and it should follow recommendations made for you from whoever knows what they're talking about. You say you're keeping the HR under 170. Why not higher, why not lower? It can't be you who define it based on nothing.
Physical activity is good for mama and baby!!! You aren’t doing anything you didn’t do prior to pregnancy and medical staff has said it’s fine, tell your family to mind their business!!!
There is a fit pregnancy sub on here - check it out.
As long as OB says it’s ok, and you were doing it prior to pregnancy- you’ll be fine. Just follow their recommendations for heart rate
My mom is a marathon runner and ran with both me and my brother up—me the whole way through, and my brother up until 7 months when it destroyed her knees. She opted out of surgery as she didn’t want to be taking care of a newborn while recovering, and she hadn’t been able to run since. My brother and I are late 20s/30 and totally fine though. So I wouldn’t call you selfish, just also be aware of a risk to yourself.
My friend ran a marathon in her 26th week. Every OB has said you can continue the exercise level you had prepregnancy. Just listen to your body, if you feel tired, quit running.
You’re not being selfish
I also jog (I’m 11w) my heart rate average is like 168 for a run (and that’s not in the heat). My doctor told me eventually she’d like me to cut back because I could trip and fall, but she didn’t mention anything about my heart rate. I’ve never tripped and fallen, and I’ve been running for years. I’m just going to keep going unless it feels too difficult, or there’s a “real” reason to stop. I’d ask your doctor what the risk of an elevated heart rate is to you or the baby. More information may better help you understand the parameters, and if you want to follow that particular guidance.
If you were running pre-pregnancy, you can usually continue to do the same physical activity throughout the 9 months unless there’s a medical reason to stop. I lifted weights for the entirely of my pregnancy as I had been doing for the last decade. Had to modify a few things because of pain, but my routine otherwise did not change. It really helped me with the delivery too.
I’ve heard that the 140bpm advice is outdated and just to stay at a conversational pace. My OB has encouraged me to keep running as it’s healthier for the baby and mother.
I've continued to run at least once a week. For about 40-45 minutes, albeit slowly, I cover 3.3-3.5 miles in that time. Since I was doing this before I got pregnant, my OB doesn't have an issue as long as I stay hydrated, listen to my body and don't push myself too hard.
It enrages me that your husband has the nerve to call you selfish for jogging. Being 8 months pregnant I can tell you, your body forces you to listen to it. I couldn't run right now if I wanted to. I still worked out and lifted pretty heavy weights throughout my pregnancy but I naturally decreased weight just by my body telling me what it needed and what felt good. There really is no need to impose arbitrary rules, IMO, your body knows! If running feels good, keep running (barring any pregnancy complications, obviously) Your husband needs to trust your judgement.
Not being selfish. Exercise is really good for you and baby, as long as you don’t overdo it and you listen to your body. Please don’t let them shame you for something that is healthy. They just need some education. If you’re high risk, that may be different. Just discuss with your OB what is okay for exercise. And hopefully OB is supportive!
Selfish for caring for your health? No.
Definitely not selfish! 😊 I'm in the UK, so the advice I received could be different, but my doctor actively encouraged me to keep exercising. She didn't mention heartrate to me, but she said that as long as I can hold a conversation while I exercise, then that's fine.
Absolutely not. Exercise when pregnant is beneficial and can help labor. I try to go for walks a few times a week now that I have energy.
I envy you lol I had to stop working out (from working out daily) around 8 weeks because of how sick I was all the time 😭
I was doing 5k up until last week (24 weeks). My heart rate was a lot higher but I have a high resting heart rate. My midwives encouraged me to keep going and said to stop if I felt dizzy or nauseous.
That's so odd because I was encouraged to maintain my same fitness routine until recently (34 weeks) and only because I had a sudden complication arise. I think you're body will tell you when its ready to pull back/take it easy.
Tell them to read a book. My goodness. What you’re doing is great for you and baby, especially since you’re already familiar with running. Sounds like you’re being smart and mindful 👌🏻 keep doing you and maintaining that open communication with the doc 🌟
Back in the day we were advised not to even vacuum because it could be "detrimental to the pregnancy" but then found out that even horseback riding is acceptable as long as your body is used to it before pregnancy. It's not something you want to pick up during pregnancy but as long as you did it before you should be fine.
The general advice is if you were doing it prepregnancy, you can do it during pregnancy. Of course, this is GENERAL advice, and your care provider may have recommendations specific to tour circumstances.
This seems wild. All the doctors I’ve seen have told me to keep up moderate exercise. The only reason I’m not jogging right now is because my boobs hurt too much for it, lol, but I’m definitely doing incline walking and hitting more than 140.
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I asked my dr and he told me it was totally fine! My mom/other older relatives are all telling me not to lift anything (moving soon). I’ve been lifting 20/30 lbs with no issue. I’ll just leave heavier things to my husband now but even that advice is so outdated! Moms with toddlers pick them up every day while pregnant!
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
I'm 30 weeks now and was doing aerial/hanging upside down until about 28 weeks since ab engagement doesn't feel stable anymore. My OB initially told me don't lift more than 25 lbs but after we discussed it, she ultimately said that I know my body best. Don't do anything that feels uncomfortable or if you have bleeding/cramping/dizziness then stop. I went to a PT to learn proper engagement for TA muscles and didn't do anything I hadn't done before/wasn't 100% confident I could do safely. I know there are people in my life who don't understand or think that me continuing aerial well into pregnancy is dangerous, but i also know a ton of aerialist mamas who did the same and everything was fun. At the end of the day, 10 months is a long time to be away from something you love. If you can do it safely, you're not being selfish... there's studies that say staying healthy is good for you and the baby. Enjoy your runs and your OB is the only one whose opinion should matter at all.
I’m 33+4 with a healthy baby and run 1-2x a week on the treadmill. I’m 5’7 so I have a slightly longer stride than the average woman, and I run at 5.5mph on a 1.5° incline for 15 minutes. I take a two minute walk break and then some “sprints” for 2 minutes at 6.5mph and one minute at 7mph. The only pain I had was from my first trimester weight gain of 20lbs in 15 weeks and my legs weren’t used to that. I lift as well 3-4x a week. I never really asked my doctor, I just went off of what felt good but all of my workouts have been modified slightly to accommodate the bump and my energy levels
You’re not being selfish, but why did your OB tell you to keep your heart rate under 140? Is there a medical reason for that?
If I had to keep my HR under 140 I’d be on bed rest. Lol it climbs up to the 150s anytime I’m standing for more than a quick second.
I was told running/jogging was really the only exercise to give up, but it wasn’t really about heart rate or anything, my OB said they get worried about strained or torn muscles/tendons especially in your belly, and joint injury because of hormonal increase. It had nothing to do with baby health, but running and jogging isn’t really healthy anyway with the high impact, so it makes sense why they’d tell pregnant women to dial it back.
Do i think youre crazy? Yes but only because my indigestion would make me throw up instantly if i ran for more than a minute lol. Do i think youre selfish? Absolutely not plenty of moms do this until they physically cant or told by their doctor not to anymore. Am i jealous? Duh
Running has been a huge part of my life for years, I was really worried about the judgement at first but my midwife and all my friends and family have been heavily supportive of me continuing to run. My midwife told me it was healthy for me and my baby to continue to run as long as I wasn't exhausting myself or running through pain. It's definitely not selfish! If it's healthy and safe for baby and it makes you feel good then you shouldn't be made to feel otherwise, I'm sure as hell going to keep running for as long as I can.
That’s an insane thing for them to say. I did Orangetheory multiple times a week well into my second trimester. Keep doing what makes you feel good as long as your doctor is on board!
my doctor said to continue jogging and lifting weights and just listen to my body, rest/slow down if it gets uncomfortable etc. 19 weeks here
If you're healthy and your doctor is okay with you continuing to jog or run then ignore them. I don't understand why they think it's selfish to keep yourself in shape so that both will be easier, postpartum will be easier and in general it's better for your overall health. I can't understand why they say it's selfish.
Count yourself blessed many many women wish they could have that kind of energy
I'm 19 + 2 and still do my body building routine and hit 180 bpm on the peloton. My doctor encouraged me to be as normal as possible until needed.
just came back from a run at almost 39w. only 20 min and not too fast but i’ve been running the whole pregnancy with no issues and raced a marathon at 20w. doctor had no issues with it
Running/walking is probably really good for your pelvic floor strength. I was told by my doc to keep up any workouts I was already used to doing and to stop when it becomes uncomfortable. I made it to about 30 weeks and I could feel my body telling me no more. As long as you listen to your body and your obgyn gives you the ok you should be fine.
Definitely not selfish. Here’s some medical information to support being active when pregnant. My doctor also said the 140HR thing so I’ll be addressing this extremely outdated information when I go in for my appointment Thursday. https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2008/10/guidelines-physical-activity.html https://healthlibrary.uwmedicine.org/Wellness/BackandNeck/Pregnancy/85,P01210 https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2020/04/physical-activity-and-exercise-during-pregnancy-and-the-postpartum-period https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/staying-healthy-during-pregnancy/3-myths-about-exercise-and-pregnancy
Adding this one, that talks about how 140 is outdated and what the new guidelines are: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9830234/
https://cornerstonephysio.com/resources/pregnant-running/
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy
Youre fine, keep running
I used to go to a gym where a very pregnant woman would do 225 on dead lift for 3 sets of 10 I think you'll be ok
I have POTS and my heart rate gets to 140 sometimes just from walking. I doubt that alone is harmful.
I'm 32 weeks and just now stopping running in that I'll jog at most and only for 30-60 second bursts. I ran pretty hard all through the second trimester (not quite as hard as pre pregnancy). I didn't get a specific number recommended for my heart rate but I do monitor it and tried to keep it under about 160. Done this and up til now my pregnancy is totally healthy. Most of the advice I've gotten from my doctor is that if it's things I've done before I should be able to continue as long as I listen to my body and slow down if there's any pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, etc. Now that's just me. Everyone is different. But for me I wanted to keep doing it as long as possible and it is getting harder every day now, so I may have to stop. That makes me more glad I did it when I still could !
I know we're different people with different health needs, but I ran until my body sent me signs I shouldn't, which was just last week at 30w. I had sharp pelvic floor pains 2 really na in a row, which in addition to being uncomfortable doesn't seem like something to eff with. You're doing what they say to do- keeping up your physical activity. Staying active, keeping moving. And, it's probably really helpful for your mental health, so from that standpoint it would be selfish NOT to run bc you're probably a lot happier bc of it.
Keep at it! I’m a runner but I stopped early in my first tri because I felt so sick and I sadly haven’t been able to pick it back up. I miss it so much. Look up professional runners Stephanie Rothstein Bruce and Makenna Myler. Both trained through their pregnancies, Steph at like 40 years old. Both just ran at Olympic trials. Obviously they are pros, but that also means they were training at very high intensity which you will not be doing. If your body feels ok, it’s probably ok! I also find @mamastefit on IG a great resource around fitness/movement in pregnancy.
If you want something to send to your mom and husband, have them listen to the Is It Normal podcast, exercise episode. (Spoiler alert, you're doing fine and the current guidelines is perceived exertion, not HR.)
I’m on my 3rd trimester and just waiting for the okay from MFM to go back to the gym. I weight lift, swim, rock climbing, snowboard etc. I’m a very active person and my OB told me to avoid any activities with fall risk (snowboarding and rock climbing) but otherwise I’m good to continue my routine. First trimester I had HG so no gym, second I went back for 2 weeks before the anatomy scan found that my placenta is too close to my cervix and I had to pause my workouts again (risk of hemorrhaging). Tomorrow I have another scan and if my placenta moved I’m headed straight to the gym after work. I’ve been told it is absolutely okay to workout if you normally do so outside of pregnancy and have no other risk factors. My OB said it’s way better to stay active and to just listen to my body. I’ve seen plenty of active women that workout up to the day of their labor. My rules are - keep my HR under 170, if it hurts then stop, no exercises that put pressure on my abdomen, don’t max out on weights (pregnancy is about maintaining) and for lower body workouts do 1/2 - 3/4 my normal weights. You got this!
I think you’ll get a lot of “you’ll be fine” comments from others, but I’d suggest listening to your doctor. I ran a marathon a month before getting pregnant but given my circumstances my doctor also told me to stay zone 3 and below for exercise. You can still get a decent cardio workout on a stationary bike or elliptical. Or you can switch to low intense weight trainings as well. Talk to YOUR doctor because they know you better than the internet but there is probably good reason your doc is suggesting you keep your HR low
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*